Church-Linked Labor Group Warns of Daily Worker Deaths in Philippines

A church-backed workers’ group warned that unsafe working conditions in the Philippines are costing at least one life a day, as it called for urgent action and condemned what it described as systemic violations of labor rights.

In a statement in Filipino marking International Workers’ Memorial Day on April 28, the Church People-Workers Solidarity (CWS) said the deaths highlight the “grave and continuing injustice” faced by Filipino workers, many of whom endure insecure jobs, low wages, and lack of protection.

Citing data from the Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development, the group said at least one worker died each day in 2025 due to unsafe working conditions.

“These are not just statistics, they are lives, families, and dreams cut short,” said San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, who chairs CWS.

CWS also pointed to widespread job insecurity, citing estimates that 4.3 million Filipinos are unemployed and 7.2 million underemployed. Many workers, it said, remain trapped in non-regular or informal arrangements without adequate benefits or safeguards.

The group raised concern over reported labor rights violations, including cases affecting thousands of workers, as well as harassment and threats against labor organizers and community advocates. Such conditions, it said, undermine workers’ rights to organize and demand fair wages.

Framing the issue as both a social and moral concern, CWS said the defense of workers’ dignity is central to Catholic social teaching.

“Work is at the heart of human dignity,” Bishop Alminaza said, citing papal encyclicals such as Rerum Novarum and Laborem Exercens, which affirm workers’ rights to just wages and humane conditions.

CWS urged church communities to go beyond charity and take part in efforts to reform unjust labor systems, including supporting policies that protect workers and holding violators accountable.

For CWS, the issue goes beyond policy to the daily reality faced by workers who risk their lives to earn a living. “We are called not to remain silent, but to act,” Bishop Alminaza said.

The Department of Labor and Employment has yet to issue a response to the group’s claims. The agency has previously said it is strengthening workplace inspections and enforcing occupational safety standards, but labor advocates have argued that enforcement remains uneven.

The group also called for investigations into labor rights violations and immediate protection for workers and advocates.