THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it will work to help industries better manage the transition to increased automation, including “social dialogue” which could help mitigate employment disruptions accompanying the so-called fourth industrial revolution (4IR).
“The labor department has underscored the importance of developing and implementing labor and employment policies and programs based on sound research,” DoLE said in a statement Sunday.
DoLE recently held its 8th DOLE Research Conference, centered around “Shaping the Discourse on the Future of Decent Work.” At the conference 14 research papers were presented, from which DoLE concluded that automation presents opportunities and should not be seen solely as a potential job killer.
“How we deal with it, how we adapt to it, and how we harness its positive potential, will shape the future of work,” according to Labor Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay in the statement.
The conference was conducted by DoLE’s Institute for Labor Studies (ILS).
In June during the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III spoke of the need to upskill workers to make stay relevant during the 4IR.
“The main task at hand right now is to craft specific policy responses that affirm our human incomparability and assert the import of tripartism and social dialogue,” he said in his ILO speech. — Gillian M. Cortez
