The Philippines and the US have signed an agreement that will provide Filipino workers and employers access to information on labor rights and responsibilities in the US.
Signed by Philippine Ambassador Jose Cuisia and US National Labor Relations Board [NLRB] General Counsel Richard Griffin on October 22, the accord seeks to “strengthen bilateral efforts to provide Filipino workers, their employers and Filipino business owners in the US with information, guidance and access to education regarding their rights and responsibilities under the National Labor Relations Act,” a Philippine Embassy statement said on Friday.
Under the framework, the NLRB and the Philippine embassy in Washington, as well as NLRB Regional Offices and Philippine consulates in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu will cooperate to provide outreach programs, education and training to Filipino workers and employers in the US to develop best practices.
The embassy said the agreement
is considered another step “in
fulfilling its mandate to look after the interest and welfare of Filipinos abroad by partnering with the US in reaching out and educating members of the Filipino-American Community about their rights and responsibilities as employees and employers.”
“We welcome the opportunity of entering into worker-related bilateral agreements such as this MOU, as a step forward in the fulfillment of our mandate to protect worker rights,” Cuisia said. The MOU with the NLRB is the third agreement the Philippines has entered into with US labor
agencies. The embassy had previously signed agreements with the Wage and Hour Division and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Department of Labor.
The NLRB is an independent agency responsible for enforcing the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law governing relations between employers and employees in the private sector in the US.
The US law guarantees workers the right to join together, with or without a union, to improve their wages and working conditions, or to refrain from such activities. Employers and employees alike are protected from unfair labor practices.
“This initiative is an affirmation of the US government’s advocacy for human rights and a demonstration of their appreciation for the Filipinos’ contribution to the US economy,” Cuisia said.