Workers offer help in drafting EO vs contractualization

MANILA, Philippines -  Labor groups yesterday expressed their willingness to help in the drafting of an executive order banning all forms of contractualization.

Federation of Free Workers (FFW) president Sonny Matula said workers are optimistic that President Duterte will fulfill his commitment to ban the hiring of contractual workers.

“We have guarded optimism, the opportunity to end contractualization in all its forms is still promising under this administration,” Matula said in a statement.

He said workers are committed to prepare a draft with a framework of “prohibition” of contractualization.

Labor groups, including the FFW, have prepared a draft executive order on contractualization as early as February, Matula said.

After a dialogue with workers in Davao City, Duterte assured the people that he would issue an executive order banning all types of contractualization.

However, the President admitted that there are difficulties and limitations in existing laws, thus he urged workers to give him more time to fulfill his pledge.

Matula said Duterte ordered a review of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)’s Order 174 and even asked them to propose a draft for a new order against the hiring of contractual workers that he will consider in his review.

He said workers are also ready to inspect establishments to insure compliance with general labor standards and occupational safety and health standards. 

“We will gladly share our nose for detecting labor law violations and our analytical minds,” Matula said.

Matula said workers also welcome Duterte’s commitment to take a look at contractual workers in the government sector. 

“One of brightest spots for labor, during the Labor Day speech of the President, is his announcement that he will ratify and endorse ILO Convention 151 (public sector unionism) for concurrence by the Senate,” Matula said.

The DOLE said deputized inspectors that check on commercial establishments would be doing this on a voluntary basis and not be paid for their services.

“The deputized inspectors will be supervised by the DOLE’s Labor Law Compliance Officer and they will function on a voluntary basis,” DOLE noted.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he has issued an administrative order setting qualifications and requirements for workers who will become part of the DOLE’s inspection team.

Bello said the workers as well as employers would be deputized to help DOLE in the inspection of more than 90,000 establishments to ensure compliance with labor standards.

He said deputizing workers is one of the strategies being undertaken by DOLE to enforce the Department Order regulating contracting and subcontracting arrangement.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III has vowed to prioritize the passage of the proposed bills aimed at eliminating the practice of contractualization in the country.

Pimentel said that he has spoken with Bello, who told him that a new department order has been issued to address the issue of contractual workers.

“But still, the issue refuses to die. Some say that the Department Order does not address the issue of endo, therefore it must be a law. I will still remind labor (Senate committee on labor) chairman Senator (Joel) Villanueva to prioritize all the endo bills,” Pimentel said.

Villanueva said that he expects to sponsor the committee report on the endo bills within the month.

Minimum wage

The President also promised to look into a national minimum living wage as proposed by trade unions as well as consider endorsing House bills banning contractualization.

Luis Corral, of Associated Labor Union (ALU), said Duterte was sincere in asking the workers for patience with the delay in issuance of an order banning contractualization.

During the dialogue, workers expressed their opposition over Department Order 174 because it does not carry out Duterte’s commitment to end contractualization.  

Duterte admitted in the labor dialogue that there is “resistance and objections” coming from some members of his Cabinet and interest lobby groups on his decision to ban contractualization. 

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman reminded Duterte that mere rhetoric will never match higher wages for workers to buy food to feed their hungry families. – With Delon Porcalla, Paolo Romero