MANILA, Philippines — Janitors, security guards and maintenance men working in public hospitals should also receive hazard pay from the government as they face similar health risks as medical frontliners amid the pandemic, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Monday. Recto noted that janitors, security guards, as well as maintenance personnel are not entitled to hazard pay despite facing the same risks as health care workers because of their status as private service providers. “Sanitation workers, housekeepers, janitors, security guards, equipment and building maintenance staff who work for private companies under contract with public hospitals are frontliners, too. And because they’re private employees, they’re not entitled to hazard pay given to state workers,” he said. This does not include expenses by 10 specialty hospitals like the Philippine Heart Center and 363 local government-run hospitals, according to Recto.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 17, 2020 03:45 UTC