Stop age discrimination in hiring workers – Pia Cayetano

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Stop age discrimination in hiring workers – Pia Cayetano
Senate Bill 29, or the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act, aims to provide deprived 'older' workers of employment opportunities

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Pia Cayetano on Friday, May 1, reiterated her call to end age discrimination in the workplace and to provide deprived “older” workers of employment opportunities.

Speaking in time for International Labor Day, the senator renewed her call for the passage of Senate Bill 29, or the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

SB29 prohibits employers from publishing or posting ads indicating age preferences, requiring applicants to declare their age, and declining application or laying off employees because of age.

“Our Constitution guarantees equal employment opportunities for all, and yet there is no law that prohibits age discrimination at work, not even an aggressive campaign by the labor department to seriously address this unfair practice.”

Cayetano criticized the frequent job fairs organized by various government agencies and private firms, saying that participating companies either favor younger applicants or set preferred age limits for jobs.

“We see age discrimination openly being flaunted in job fairs and classified ads, where companies or employment agencies set specific age requirements for job seekers, such as between 20 to 30 years old. It is also in the employment policies of some industries, although sometimes discreetly,” Cayetano said.

The bill, which is currently on second reading in the Senate, imposes a fine of between P50,000 and P500,000, or imprisonment ranging from 3 months to two years.

OFWs to benefit

Among those who will benefit the most from this bill, according to Cayetano, are the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

“Age discrimination is also a common concern among OFWs. Many of them are skilled and highly experienced workers who would be assets in any company or enterprise, but experience has shown them that turning 30 has been a serious obstacle to being hired locally. Thus, many of our OFWs are forced to stay abroad or return there, sometimes as illegal workers, or even risk their own life and safety as migrant workers in countries torn by conflict or war,” she said.

Data show that the number of OFWs being deployed to other countries has been constantly increasing for the past 3 decades. (READ: PH migration report: Number of OFWs increasing

OFWs are widely considered to be key drivers of the Philippines’ stellar economic growth, yet don’t always come home with improved lives. (READ: OFWs turned hungry and homeless

“The Philippine economy is widely acknowledged as one of the fastest moving in the region, and yet our workers remain stuck in backward practices and conditions. Passing the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act would be a fitting legacy of the 16th Congress for our workforce,” Cayetano said.

Among the groups supporting the bill are the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a support group for migrant workers, and the ‘Abilidad, Hindi Edad’ (‘Skills, Not Age’) Coalition composed of workers and labor groups. – Rappler.com

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