City dad seeks government support on job security for private sector workers

CEBU, Philippines - City Councilor Alvin Dizon is calling on President Benigno Aquino III to consider as urgent the passage of a proposed law that aims to provide security of tenure for workers in the private sector.

Dizon, an urban poor leader, also made the same call to the Senate and House of Representatives. He said House Bill 303 or the Act Strengthening the Security of Tenure of Workers in the Private Sector can protect the rights of Filipino workers and can strengthen mechanisms that promote their welfare.

The bill, which will amend Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines, aims to promote regular employment in the private sector instead of flexible labor arrangements such as contractual, casual, project or extra employment.

“Despite these protective measures, the right of security of tenure is "still the most frequently assaulted right of Filipino workers. The current trend of contractualization and de-regularization threatens the workers' right to security of tenure,” Dizon said.

Based on a study conducted by the Asia-Pacific Research Network (APRN), one out of five workers is a casual, contractual or part-time worker while seven out of 10 companies practice contractualization.

Dizon said the study also revealed that "contractualization further depresses the already low wages of Filipino workers as at least 4 out of 10 contractuals are paid below the mandated minimum wage."

“There is a need to recognize the rights of subcontracted workers and protect them from insecure working conditions,” Dizon said.

House Bill 303 was filed by Representatives Walden Bello and Arlene Bag-ao. The bill recognizes subcontracting as a valid business, but provides for measures and mechanisms to regulate unjustified subcontracting. It further aims to achieve a balance between the rights of workers and employers.

Salient provisions of House Bill 303 stipulate that the principals can engage a maximum of 20 percent subcontracted employees, that violation of contracting rules is considered unfair labor practice, and that violating contracting rules is penalized by a fine.

House Bill 303 also seeks to introduce the following innovations: Employment may be fixed by a term of the project, task or work to be performed but may not be bound by a mere reference to a time; the period of probationary employment is fixed at six months when all employers shall have enough time to ascertain whether a worker is fit for retention or not; and the deliberate mis-classification of employees for the purpose of misleading them as to their rights is deemed an unfair labor practice. (FREEMAN)