MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City councilor on Friday asked the city government to work closely with the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) in running after so-called errant employers to prevent unfair labor practices in workplaces.

Third district Councilor Allan Benedict Reyes said that some traders and entrepreneurs allegedly took advantage of the economic crisis by denying their workers’ salary adjustments and other benefits required by law.

Reports disclosed that some employers allegedly failed to remit the monthly Social Security Systems (SSS) contributions despite deducting some amounts from employees’ salaries depriving the workers to avail of various loans that put them in deep financial straits.

Councilor Ranulfo Ludovica, president of the city’s Liga ng mga Barangay, expressed concern on the growing number of mass layoffs especially in manufacturing companies, citing the global financial crisis as alibis, raising the unemployment rate to alarming levels.

In some instances, the employees complained that errant manufacturing firms have given them reduced workloads, deducted salary payments or slashed employee’s benefits unlawfully.

“There should be guidelines before drastic measures like pay cuts and dismissals are implemented. This is totally abuse committed on the workers especially those coming from the urban poor,’’ Ludovica noted.

Reyes asked the DoLE to find ways to determine lawfully if the companies are indeed losing money heavily or just trying to squeeze out more profits at the expense of their workers.

DoLE records said that 121,000 Filipino workers were affected by the financial crisis through job loss, pay cuts and reduced working hours.