DOLE to assist 3,800 Hanjin workers

Aika Rey

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DOLE to assist 3,800 Hanjin workers
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III says Hanjin workers will be receiving separation pay, and will be profiled to see if they can get jobs in government projects

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it would assist some 3,800 workers of Korean shipbuilding firm Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Corporation to look for jobs, after the company went bankrupt.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in a media briefing on Tuesday, January 15, said that they would be profiling the affected workers, as their skills may be needed in the government infrastructure program.

“We will assist them with re-employment in other related jobs, such as in construction under the Build, Build, Build program of the President. Hanjin workers are highly skilled and are relatively young…. They are in demand not only here but abroad,” Bello said.

DOLE said around 3,800 workers are still employed as of January 15, but only under reduced working days within the first quarter of 2019 to finish two more ships in Hanjin. 

They are employed by 17 contractors who will apply for retrenchment after their contracts with Hanjin is terminated. Hanjin reportedly had laid off 7,000 workers in December 2018.

To provide employment options to the affected workers, Bello said he would be coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation, and Department of Public Works and Highways.

“We need to profile the workers – of course to know their specific skills and their preference of assistance, whether [it is] livelihood, training, or entrepreneurship – to better match them with the available opportunities,” Bello added.

The labor chief also disclosed that Hanjin’s largest contractor, Subic Shipbuilder Corporation, would be giving the workers separation pay equivalent to one month salary for every year of service.

DOLE Central Luzon would monitor the process to ensure the contractors fulfill their labor obligations.

The South Korean shipbuilder filed for bankruptcy last week after it suffered liquidity problems to repay its debts of over $400 million to Philippine top banks and another $900 million to South Korean lenders.

It is considered as the biggest loan default in Philippine history, but government regulators say it will have “minimal impact” to the public. (READ: Banks downplay Hanjin crisis impact) – Rappler.com

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Aika Rey

Aika Rey is a business reporter for Rappler. She covered the Senate of the Philippines before fully diving into numbers and companies. Got tips? Find her on Twitter at @reyaika or shoot her an email at aika.rey@rappler.com.