A labor NGO expresses dismay over the statement made by the new appointee of President Duterte that putting an end to ‘endo’ or contractualization is no longer a priority of the administration in its last year of office.
According to the Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER), the statement of the presidential legislative adviser Jacinto “Jing” Paras shows the inaction of the government to address contractualization.
“Nakakalungkot na balita ito para sa milyun-milyong kontraktwal na manggagawa. Malaking suliranin para sa mga manggagawa ang kawalan ng benepisyo at seguridad sa trabaho dulot ng kontraktwalisasyon,” said EILER Executive-Director Rochelle Porras.
EILER also noted that 3 out of 5 workers are contractuals (2015 statistics). Contractualization deprives workers of the benefits accorded by law and makes them vulnerable to abuse. Contractual workers are more prone to experience precarious working conditions. Many more workers were affected by labor flexibilization during the pandemic. The number of part-time workers increased by one million while those with full-time work decreased.
“Kung babalikan ang pag-veto ng Security of Tenure Bill, ipinapakita nito kung sino ang pinapanigan ng pangulo, hindi ang mga manggagawa. Walang tipo ng kontraktwalisasyon na beneficial sa empleyado. Laging dehado ang manggagawa na walang seguridad sa trabaho,” said Porras.
EILER also criticized the government’s prioritization of the Foreign Investments Act, and Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, over the abolition of an unfair labor scheme of hiring and firing workers to avoid regularizing them.
EILER urges workers and labor rights defenders to continue calling for banning contractualization and to uphold the fundamental rights of workers including rights to living wages, decent and regular jobs and freedom of association. ###
