House Bill 2592: A bill for the protection of the rights and welfare of BPO workers

The much awaited bill, House Bill No. 2592 or the "BPO Workers' Welfare and Protection Act of 2010, originally filed last 14th Congress, was refiled today by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino.

In his explanatory note, Rep. Palatino explained that the bill "seeks to assert the prescribed labor standards set forth in the Labor Code and institutionalize additional benefits that would hopefully address specific work-related problems and issues peculiar to the nature of BPO work.”

Citing numerous feedbacks received after the young legislator delivered a speech on the plight of BPO workers same month last year, a refined bill has been filed to address the growing problems that need serious and concrete measures in order to protect the welfare of thousands of BPO workers.

The refined and updated bill includes 1) mandatory regularization of all employees who have worked for at least six months in the company; 2) standardization of restroom breaks; 3) standardization of the medical check-up benefits for all workers; 4) right to organize and establish formations and unions; and 5) right to due process in administrative proceedings.

Let us support HB 2592!

Tell your call center friends, relatives, FB friends and Twitter followers that we need their support in order to pressure Congress to pass this bill. Write your district representatives; tell them that we want this bill passed this 15th Congress.

Read and download full text of the bill. Click here and here.

DEATH EATERS IN CONGRESS

Early this week, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino delivered a speech titled She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary, which captured media attention, bloggers and twitter followers alike. For one, the speech has an eye-catching title. “She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary” was easily associated with Harry Potter’s He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, of course, is the She-Who-Cannot and Lord Voldemort is the He-Who-Must-Not.

After the speech was delivered, not only did it appall neophyte congressmen present at that time, but captured the senses and creative minds of online followers and associated it with anything that’s Lord Voldemort. (GMA became the Lord Voldemort of Congress. Lord Voldemort, a witch espousing dark magic, was responsible for the death of Harry Potter’s parents. He is so evil that anyone who comes his way is mercilessly murdered.)

One comment read: The chamber is now called the Chamber of Secrets...where lies and deceptions are everywhere.. and any attempt to disclose things are being stifled...and freedom of information is being blocked by all means possible. (Jeffy Mendiola, Twitter).

But more than the association to anything that’s Harry Potter, Rep. Palatino delivered a strong message: that lawmakers should not be stopped from making a stand and speaking up about the accountabilities of GMA in the name of decorum, that speeches bearing the words, papanagutin, magnanakaw, mamamatay-tao, should not be omitted in desperate attempts not to offend a member of Congress.

There is now an alarming situation where even members of Congress, who may stand and deliver privilege speeches, are under threat of censorship.

With GMA’s allies deeply indebted to their 'Lord', defending her against any possible mention of her alleged crimes during her presidency, we expect more ‘censorship’ to happen.

What transpired on Aug. 3, after Rep. Teddy Casino’s speech was several times slapped with moves to omit words ‘offensive to a fellow member of Congress’ is likely to happen again as She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary’s allies are now ready to yield their wands by slashing and censoring speeches “offensive” to their ‘Lord’.

Just like in Harry Potter where the long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seized control of the Ministry of Magic, Congress is now feared to be overtaken by GMA’s own 'death eaters.'

Let us keep a close watch. Let us be wary of the ‘Dark Magic.’