Labor Law and Legislation

Welcome to Labor Law and Legislation 2nd Sem 2012-2013.

Here you will come to know the various laws that affect businesses in the Philippines in terms of the workforce.

Labor law also called employment law is defined by the Business Dictionary (2012) as a body of rulings enforced by the government pertaining to working people and their organizations.  The same lexicon describes labor law as having two categories:

1. Collective - concerned with the relationship among the emplyer, the employee, and the union.
2. Individual - concerned with the relationship between the emplyer and the employee, emphasizing emplyee's rights in the workplace.

In the Philippines, the power to create laws rests primarily in the hands of the Legislative Branch also known as Congress.  Congress is composed of two houses:

1. Upper House = Senate - Composed of Senators whose duty in the act of making laws is to represent the ideals of the entire Philippines as one nation.
2. Lower House = House of Representatives - District Representatives (Congressmen) whose duty in the act of making laws is to represent the ideals of the area/district that they represent.
• The Lower House also has Party List members.  They are also Congressmen, but their duty is to represent sectors in the society (e.g. the poor, teachers, businessmen, drivers, and other marginalized groups).

It is Congress which makes the statutes (laws) that guide the conduct of citizens.  These laws start as proposed laws (Bills) which when finally approved become Republic Acts (R.A.).

The branch of the Philippine government which is in charge of implementing the laws passed by Congress is the Executive Branch, headed by the President.  It is under this branch which the Department of Labor and Employment Operates.

For your assignment, research the different kinds of executive issuances, and be ready to recite next meeting.