A MAJOR labor organization called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to conduct inspections of workplaces affected by Typhoon Uwan to ensure occupational safety, health and labor standards compliance. The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) on Monday reminded DOLE it has the power and the duty to act “motu proprio” or on its own to conduct the inspection in accordance with International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 81 and Article 128 of the Labor Code of the Philippines. “When floods destroy homes and shut down a number of factories, inspection becomes a matter of life and dignity. Workers need protection, not just relief. ILO Convention 81 and Article 128 give DOLE both the power and the duty to act motu proprio. Relief goods help families; inspections save lives — give both,” said FFW President Sonny Matula. Article 128 provides the DOLE chief with visitorial and enforcement power. ILO Convention 81 — ratified by the Philippine Senate in September 2024 — establishes international standards for a comprehensive labor inspection system. Flooding in workplaces, Matula pointed out, puts workers at risk from electrocution, exposure to hazardous materials, and disease in factories, plants and warehouses. He pointed out that inspection is not a burden on employers or only about enforcement, but an opportunity to provide technical assistance to medium, small and micro enterprises (MSMEs) for compliance. MSMEs make up 99.6 percent of companies in the country, contributing 30 percent to the gross domestic product and 60 percent to job generation. Matula said inspections should regularly be conducted by DOLE to prevent disasters and loss of lives. He cited the May 13, 2015, incident at the Kentex manufacturing factory in Valenzuela City, where 72 workers died during a fire, the second-worst fire disaster in Philippine history, alongside the Manor Hotel fire in 2000. Only the Ozone Disco Club fire in 1996 had claimed more lives.