Labor groups are becoming more restive each day the proposed executive order (EO) on contractualization is left unsigned, now accusing President Duterte of lacking political will to issue an order that does not even fully ban contracting and subcontracting arrangements.
“The so-called study being done by his [Duterte] legal team is more than two weeks past the deadline,” Federation of Free Workers (FFW) Vice President Julius H. Cainglet said. “The continued abuse of workers through contractualization and manpower agency work merits decisive action. The absence of political will is the problem.”
This was in response to the statement of Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra in a news conference on Monday, where he confirmed that their long review of the labor-endorsed EO revealed some of its provisions go beyond the power of the Executive department.
This, Guevarra said, includes the total banning of contractualization—popularly known locally as endo—which, he noted, should go through Legislative process.
Partido Manggagawa (PM) Chairman Renato Magtubo said this should not have been an issue on the approval of the EO since they are not even pushing for the abolition of contractualization.
“Its not true that the labor-drafted EO submitted to the President on February 27 totally banned labor contracting,” Magtubo said.
“The truth is, the said EO provides exemption to jobs or functions that by their nature can be contracted out but subject to consultation between the labor secretary and labor groups represented in the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council,” he added.
Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Chairman Elmer Labog agreed with the position of PM, and said their draft EO only aims to ban forms of contractualization that are “anti-worker.” “While the EO may not entirely eliminate contractualization, it can more or less deter it.”
He said it will also serve as a signal to Congress and the Senate to fast-track the passage of the pending bills on security of tenure to further regulate contractualization.
FFW President Sonny Matula said the content of the EO only aims to enforce the provisions of the Labor Code that prioritize regular employment.
“Under the present regime contracting and subcontracting arrangements are the norms, which resulted in the rampant disregard, violation, or circumvention of the constitutional right to security of tenure,” Matula said. “The draft EO would like the President to emphasize that regular employment shall be the norm under the present administration.”
To recall, Duterte tasked his legal team to review the draft EO after his meeting with with labor groups in February. The FFW, PM and other members of the labor coalition Nagkaisa and militant labor group KMU expected Duterte to sign the EO during their scheduled meeting last month.
The talk did not push through due to the other commitments of Duterte that time. Nagkaisa and KMU hopes that Duterte will finally sign the EO during their next meeting, which was scheduled this month.
1 comment
When du30 said he will end ENDO, he was talking as a demagogue with a mayor mindset and background. The realities in a national scale are much much different and leaves the contractuals hoping and hoping …… against hope.