Will economic struggles reverse gains in labor rights?

Maybe.

Here’s a report from the Philippine’s Business World newspaper:

Business leaders — particularly Messrs. Schumacher, Valenzuela, and Young — also called for flexible labor rules.

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines has called for the temporary suspension of a provision in the Labor Code which prohibits lowering the amount of benefits an employee receives. The Joint Foreign Chambers, meanwhile, plans to stage talks with the Labor department, labor groups, and firms on options such as job rotation, forced leaves, and shorter work hours to avert layoffs.

“Labor policies must … not take away from the competitiveness of our industries,” Mr. Young said.