A labor NGO expressed concern over the reported mass layoff of 580 workers by a garments factory at the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) 2 in Cebu, saying that the incident should be a wake-up call to the Ferdinand Marcos Jr government.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) said that government support for the former employees of a Taiwanese producer of sports apparel presumes “business as usual,” when major policy changes should be made by the government.

“The Marcos Jr government should pay special attention to the mass layoff of 580 workers. Traditional support for retrenched workers is not enough. The government should carry out major policy changes in the garments industry and in relation to the worsening economic crisis brought about by the attacks of the US and Israel against Iran,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

Deligente lauded the reported efforts of the Cebu City Public Employment Service Office (PESO) to assist the retrenched workers, even as she said that the national government should step in to help the workers.

According to news reports, the Cebu PESO has referred the workers to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for assistance, coordinated with the Department of Labor and Employment for livelihood training, offered the city’s P20 per kilo rice program to the workers, and searched for job openings in other factories.

“Garment workers should not be treated like basahan or rags that can be disposed of when employers think that they have served their purpose. Workers have rights, and international due diligence standards have been created to ensure that garment companies uphold those rights,” Deligente added.

CTUHR cited international due diligence standards that compel brands in the garments industry to veer away from short-term and high-volume orders and ensure that orders match production capacity to prevent sweatshop conditions in factories during peak seasons. Brands are also told to ensure stable contracting so factories can plan production and not close down during lean seasons.

“The government also should consider other ways of supporting workers who are being retrenched amidst the economic crisis unleashed by the US-Israel war on Iran. Business as usual assistance is not enough, and may not have been enough in the first place. Workers will sink deeper into poverty, hunger and insecurity unless the government takes action,” Deligente stated.

Deligente cited statements by experts that the Philippines is among the countries worst hit by the US-Israel war on Iran, as most of the country’s oil supply comes from the Persian Gulf. She said that the government should consider measures such as providing direct cash assistance to workers who are laid off and crafting an industrial policy to create decent jobs in the country.