Labor group asks Duterte: Fulfill campaign promise to end contractualization

CEBU, Philippines - A broad alliance of various labor groups and organizations is requesting President Rodrigo Duterte to make good his campaign promise to end all forms of contractualization.

Nagkaisa is specifically asking the president to certify as urgent House Bill No. 4444, which seeks to prohibit all forms of short term employment contracts and the criminalization of such offense. Cebuano Representative Raymond Mendoza of the TUCP Partylist authored the bill.

In a statement, Nagkaisa said that its protests actions during the holiday season derailed the passage of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Department Order (DO) 168, which it believes does not answer the problem about contractualization.

Under DO 168, "endo (end of contract)" and other contractuals would be regularized under the manpower supply agencies rather than in companies where they work and provide service.

The supposed new arrangement follows the "win-win" solution proposed by Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez.

In a dialogue with DOLE senior officials, labor Secretary Silvestre Bello announced to the group that no new DO was issued before the end of the year, as previously announced.

The new order would have been issued last December 28, and would be named DO 30, following the name of the president.

At present, Bello had directed all labor undersecretaries to come up with separate drafts which will be consolidated by DOLE into a new version on January 13.

This new version will then be referred to the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council for consultations and will be issued as DO 1, series of 2017, when approved.

During the dialogue with Bello, Nagkaisa also formally requested the labor secretary to set up an audience with Duterte where workers can air their appeal for the passage of an Executive Order that will serve as a stop-gap measure to stop contractualization until a new law amending the Labor Code is passed.

Earlier, Nagkaisa launched mass actions and appealed to Duterte to reject the draft DO circulated last month which apparently would allow an army of non-regular, contractor-deployed "seasonal" and "project" workers to remain the same - contractual employees.

Duterte had made a campaign commitment to end contractualization within few weeks upon assumption to office.  This promise is yet to be realized. (FREEMAN)