A labor group on Monday urged President Duterte to reconsider his decision not to issue an executive order (EO) prohibiting contractualization, which, it said, could serve as a “policy direction” for lawmakers in crafting a security of tenure law.
Daniel L. Edralin, first vice chairman of Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa and co-convener of Nagkaisa, said the flaws and loopholes in the security of tenure bills filed in both houses of Congress could be remedied by the provisions stated under the draft EO on endo or end of contract.
“The EO would give an indication of what security of tenure law [should be passed]. It would be closer to what the [labor groups] and Secretary [Silvestre H.] Bello III agreed on,” Edralin told reporters at a news briefing on Monday in Quezon, City.
“So, even the lawmakers, who are members of the PDP-Laban, would have an idea or indication immediately on what kind of security of tenure law President Duterte wants,” Edralin added.
Last week Malacañang said Duterte will no longer issue an EO on endo, also known as labor-only contracting, and would instead leave the matter to Congress. Duterte said he would certifiy as urgent the bill that would put an end on endo, according to Bello.
“It is true that the EO is just temporary until the law is amended, which may take so long. We have been saying that sign the EO now, so that, at least we would neutralize the detrimental effects of Department Order 174,” Edralin said.
Edralin added they are still hopeful that Duterte would change his mind and would push through with the signing of an EO on endo.
“We’re hoping that maybe, during the Labor Day, we could still convince the President to give in to the clamor [of the workers],” he said. “It is the first time in so many years that all labor groups have agreed that it is time to end contractualization,” he added.
Edralin said that the signing of the EO “is the only way President Duterte can prove his sincerity to end contractualization.” “If he can’t even sign that, then why should he expect his minions in the Senate to support labor’s proposed security of tenure legislation?”
The chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment said Congress is eyeing to submit to Duterte for his signature a proposed law addressing the problems of endo in the country by July.
Rep. Randolph S. Ting of the Third District of Cagayan, the labor committee chairman, said the lower chamber is now waiting for the Senate version of the endo bill as it already approved on third and final reading its House Bill (HB) 6908 in January. HB 6908 seeks to strengthen the security of tenure of employees in the private sector.
“We already approved our own version of the endo bill, and now we are waiting for the Senate, which committed to finish its version by first quarter of this third regular session of 17th Congress or by July. On the part of the House, we are ready to immediately conduct a bicameral conference committee meeting to reconcile the differences of our version and for us to submit our final version to the President for his signature,” Ting said.
“The Senate may also decide to conduct its hearing and finish its version when session resumes on May 15,” he added. Ting said the National Economic and Development Authority has already expressed support for the passage HB 6908.
“We also presented [last Wednesday] the lower chamber version of the endo bill to the Neda and it said they will support our version.”