PH labor secretary wants criminal penalties for employers who violate job safety laws

Days after a deadly fire at a footwear plant claimed 72 lives, Labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz called for criminal penalties for factory owners who violate job safety standards. Baldoz said occupational safety standards have been in place since 1978 but they lack teeth because Congress has failed to pass a law imposing penalties against violators. Owners of the Valenzuela City factory are accused of various illegal labor practices, among them failure to pay mandated minimum wages, failure give workers overtime pay, and forcing workers to constantly inhale foul-smelling chemicals.

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