Photo Release

Corporate thieves?: Sen. Raffy Tulfo holds a consultative meeting with Department of Labor and Employment officials and other sectors on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 to address alleged unfair labor standards such as the practice of piece-rates system or “pakyaw” which is very common in construction and manufacturing companies. Tulfo said he made several rounds on these companies based on complaints of unfair labor practices filed by workers though his radio program. “I went to their offices and saw many violations, and we have to discuss these violations so that I can craft a law if need be to provide solutions to the problems our workers are facing. I even call it theft. There are companies that are thieves and they are not being caught. They just receive a slap on the wrist (if they are caught stealing from workers),” the senator stressed. He said these are very common practices on piece-rate system. The system, while offering potential for increased productivity, might also lead to substandard work. There's also a risk of exploitation as employers may set piece-rates unfairly low, potentially underpaying workers. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)