LTFRB signs deal to ensure safety of BPO workers

MANILA, Philippines – Commuting late at night will hopefully be safer for call center workers.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) signed an agreement on Wednesday, April 30, with organizations representing the information technology and business process outsourcing industries to ensure security measures are in place when these employees take public modes of transportation.

To start off, LTFRB, the BPO Workers’ Association of the Philippines-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (BWAP-TUCP), and EACOMM Corporation committed to the following:

• EACOMM will offer Trip Barker, a “community-based trip planner for mass transit systems.” Trip Barker crowdsources information from its users, gathering reports about weather, traffic, and other events real-time.
• BWAP-TUCP will create a means for BPO and IT workers to send in their complaints against irresponsible buses, jeepneys, taxi, and PUVs, as well as implement a program that would ensure workers’ security while on the road.
• The LTFRB promises to coordinate with other government agencies to explore policies that would ensure the safety of the commuting public, especially IT-BPO workers.

LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez said the agreement was the first of its kind, and the board is open to partnering with other private sector groups.

“We believe that if we collaborate and combine resources with the private and non-governmental organizations, we can achieve common goals for the benefit of the riding public,” he said. – Rappler.com