Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino today urged President Gloria Arroyo and officials of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) not to exempt call center agents and other workers from the Business Process Outsourcing sector from special non-working holidays in November.

Arroyo earlier declared November1 and 2 as special non-working holidays in observance of All Saints Day and All Souls Day,. Meanwhile, in Proclamation No. 1808 issued in April, Arroyo also declared November 27 and 28 as special non-working holidays in observance of Eid’l Adha.

“Let them visit the real graveyard,” the youth solon said, referring to workers who usually work on a graveyard shift. “Just like everyone else, call center agents deserve to visit their deceased loved ones this All Saints Day,” he said.
Last month, the government exempted the BPO sector from two non-working holidays.

“BPO companies should allow their employees to enjoy the non-working holidays without incurring penalties, financial or otherwise, and receive their regular pay for the day. Going to work on a holiday should be voluntary, not mandatory. Those who will work on a holiday must be given a rightful holiday and/or  overtime pay,” Palatino said.

Palatino said some BPO workers complain that their management require them to come to work even on holidays. “We understand that our outsourcing industry follows the calendar of its clients-mostly, foreigners-and disregard local holidays. But we cannot allow foreign firms to take advantage of our workers even on days when they should be rightfully enjoying day-off from work, just like every other worker” he said.

Last week, Palatino filed House Bill 6921 or the BPO Workers’ Welfare and Protection Act of 2009, which seeks to ensure just compensation for employees who were required to work on days designated as non-working holidays.
Palatino said during the plenary hearing of the Labor Department’s proposed 2010 budget that he got an assurance from the agency, through the DOLE budget’s sponsor Rep.Narciso Bravo, that BPO workers will not be exempted in the uocoming holidays. ###