Bongbong to ban endo, protect workers’ rights

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to prioritize the proposed measure that seeks to prohibit labor-only contracting in the country and protect workers from abusive labor practices if he wins in the May 9 polls.

He said he plans to pursue the proposed “Security of Tenure” law, a refined version of the controversial “anti-endo” bill vetoed by President Duterte in 2019, after meeting with officials of party-list groups Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the Associated Labor Unions.

Marcos promised during that meeting to make the bill, which aims to amend the Labor Code by prohibiting labor-only contracting in the private sector, a priority in Congress. He noted, though, that the measure has to be reviewed “to ensure that it will live up to its aim of further protecting workers’ rights.”

“I will have to put the layout in detail because the issue has become so involved. A lot of things need to be fixed. Agencies should be streamlined because there are too many offices that workers are confused where they should go,” he said.?“We should really study how we will amend this measure so it could really provide protection to our workers and pass it. We should really fix this because our countrymen are forced to work overseas because of the poor labor conditions.”

Duterte vetoed the anti-endo bill in 2019 “for ‘unduly broadening’ the scope of labor-only contracting, and effectively banning other forms ‘that are not particularly unfavorable to employees’.”?Thus, the Security of Tenure bill, a refined version of the measure, was refiled in Congress.

“Endo” or end-of-contract is a practice wherein workers are hired for not more than five months, so employers don’t need to regularize them on the sixth month as mandated by the Labor Code.

Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ spokesman, said the UniTeam of Marcos and running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte sees the need and urgency to create jobs as a crucial component in the country’s recovery from economic crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The UniTeam is geared at creating more jobs for our people, it is the most pressing need of the great majority of Filipinos right now; and if given a chance to serve the nation, addressing the concerns of workers shall be a top priority, because in solving the challenges of this sector we would already have ironed out a fairly big chunk of the problems being faced by the country today,” he vowed in a statement.

The camp of Marcos made the commitment as it welcomed the endorsement for his candidacy from the TUCP—the country’s biggest labor group.

“We are one with the TUCP in taking care of Filipino workers and their families since we have always held that the labor sector is a very strong ally in this movement towards economic recovery and healing from the damages, hardships, and sufferings brought about by the pandemic,” Rodriguez said.

TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay revealed that Marcos and Duterte were the “overwhelming” choice of their 1.2-million members nationwide.

“The vote advantage of Mr. Marcos and Ms. Duterte-Carpio and with those four other pairs of presidential and vice-presidential aspirants was very wide. It was an overwhelmingly majority decision in all caucuses held differently in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” Tanjusay said.

Meanwhile, Duterte reaffirmed her partnership with Marcos, saying in a post on her official Facebook account that “Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte was, is and will always be ONE team. UniTeam. Engaged to work for our country. Mahalin natin ang Pilipinas.”

She made the statement after supporters of other presidential candidates—Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Vice President Leni Robredo-handed out posters showing their respective bets in tandem with her.?

Duterte, who chairs LakasChristian Muslim Democrats, also shared a selfie with Marcos while they were on break and waiting to be called on stage during their campaign rally in Bacolod City.??

Marcos earlier gave assurance that their tandem dubbed as “BBM-Sara UniTeam” remains “strong and unbreakable” after he was also linked to another vice presidential candidate – Senate President Vicente Sotto III.??

He denied rumors that his camp has been meeting with Sotto, branding such information as “fake news” and misinformation being peddled by their political opponents.