Labor group assails DOLE’s endo order

CEBU, Philippines - Labor group Partido Manggagawa has assailed the new order of the Department of Labor and Employment for allegedly being a mere reiteration of its previous Department Order that allows contractualization.

Dennis Derige, PM-Cebu spokesperson, said contractualization will continue to proliferate under DO 174 as it is an old policy passed as new.

"News that DO 174 prohibits contractualization is fake. DO 174 merely reiterates the bans already provided for in the old DO 18-A. Everything old is presented as new again,” Derige said.

Derige, in a statement, said that DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello is acting like Pontius Pilate by passing the ball to Congress on prohibiting all forms of contractualization.

He said the Labor Secretary, under Article 106 of the Labor Code, is vested with the power to prohibit or restrict labor contracting.

"We want Bello to go. Bello’s order contradicts the president’s directive during the labor dialogue to end contractualization and agency hiring,” Derige said.

To recall, labor leaders had a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte last February 27 in Malacañang where the chief executive acceded to the demand of the labor sector to prohibit all forms of contractualization.

Derige added that more protests will be staged nationwide as a result of the labor sector’s rejection of DO 174.

Derige said that under DO 174 replacement of regular workers with contractual will continue.

Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva said he supports DOLE's department order imposing a total ban on labor-only contracting and strictly regulating legal contracting.

"We want to make sure, however, that there will be stringent rules to monitor and implement the order. Our goal here is to ensure that we end all forms of labor abuse," the senator said.

Villanueva said a separate bill was filed in the Senate to end the practice of Endo. He said Senate Bill No. 1116 or the proposed "End of Endo Act" is now in the committee level.

"That's why we call on our colleagues in both Houses to prioritize this very important measure for the welfare of every Filipino worker," Villanueva added.  —/FPL (FREEMAN)