Women in the Labor Force: The 3d Industries Case in Barangay Santolan, Pasig City

Abstract

This study was originally aimed to study the working conditions of women in selected manufacturing industries in Barangay Santolan, Pasig City. But because all but one among the target industries denied the researcher the permission to conduct survey in their company, only one industry, the 3D Industries, Incorporated had been studied. This study aims to recognize and compare the conditions experienced by the male and female workers, relative to years spent in each industry, employment status, wage rates, benefits, access to trainings and promotions, etc. The results have shown that the contractual workers, who are mostly females, dominate the total number of employees. These female workers at 3D Industries, Inc. are exploited through job categorization, lack of security of tenure, unequal access to promotions and small but significant differences in material benefits like uniforms. There is a company union present in the industry. In its 17 years of existence, the 3D Industries, Incorporated Employees’ Association (3DIEA) did nothing but fight for the rights of their member-workers, and are attested by the high trust and belief that the workers have in their union. Because of the deteriorating living conditions, these women are forced to find employment even at the high possibility of feudal labor relations and exploitation. The subjection of women in the labor force did not free them from the stereotypical bonds of the society; it only heightened the gender oppression bestowed upon them instead of providing them with equal treatment and opportunities. The case study presented in this paper helps us picture the actual conditions experienced by women in the manufacturing industries.