Government workers call for regularization, wage hike

MANILA, Philippines — Public employees have decried the extended employment of job order and contract service workers in government, saying that it prolonged the exploitation of contractual workers.

“It’s no different from renewing an endo (end-of-contract) worker in the private sector for another six months or so. Extending the deadline in the engagement of individual contract of service and job order workers does not address the worsening contractualization in the public sector,” said Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK) president Annie Geron.

“They will continue to live in fear of losing their jobs and failing to support their families. They will continue to be paid subpar wages and excluded from mandatory benefits and social protection,” she added.

Job order and contract service workers cannot exercise their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining as they are not considered government employees under existing laws, Geron noted.

It is not the first time the deadline for the engagement of contractual workers has been extended, she said.

In a 2017 joint circular, new rules governing the hiring of contractual workers until Dec. 31, 2018 were issued by the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Commission on Audit and the Department of Budget and Management.

It was extended again to Dec. 31, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2022. President Marcos ordered a December 2025 extension.

As a result, Geron said contractual workers have ballooned to 832,812, based on the CSC Inventory of Government Human Resources, as of June 30, 2023.

“We urge President Marcos to address the widespread contractualization and informalization in government and certify as urgent the passage of the Security of Tenure Act for government workers, regularizing entitled job orders and contract of service and prohibiting exploitative contractual work arrangements,” Geron said.

PSLINK is also pushing for a substantial wage hike and an increase in the personnel economic relief allowance (PERA) of government workers.

“We hope that the President will certify as urgent the passage of the Public Services Labor Relations Act, the proposed bill increasing PERA to P6,000 and a fair Salary Standardization Law that will ensure living wages for rank-and-file government employees and address wage inequities, including the disparity of wages between national and local government employees,” Geron added.

Living wage urged

Ahead of Labor Day, non-profit Church People-Workers Solidarity (CWS) is calling for a living wage for all workers.

“Minimum wages across 17 regions of the Philippines are still not enough to meet a typical family of five’s needs to cover food and non-food costs,” the group chaired by San Carlos, Negros Occidental Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said.

The national average daily minimum wage in March stood at P440 while the family living wage averaged at P1,202, resulting in a national wage gap of P762, based on data released by research group IBON Foundation.

The “infrequent and so small” wage increases provided by regional wage boards are unable to abate the rising inflation, the CWS said.

Meanwhile, the top 50 Filipino billionaires reportedly continue to rake in super profits with a total net worth of $79 billion in 2022, according to Forbes magazine.

“The Church teaches that all workers, in return for their labor, are entitled to a living wage,” the group said.

Lauded

Marcos ally Rizal 4th District Rep. Fidel Nograles yesterday commended the President for extending the terms of 832,812 contractual workers in the government.

“This is a very early Christmas gift for our contract of service and JO workers in government. Many of our kababayans will benefit from this presidential directive. Now, they can work with peace of mind and without any fear of losing their livelihood by yearend,” said Nograles, chair of the House committee on labor and employment.

He also expressed support for Marcos’ pronouncement of reeducating and training contractual workers with the help of higher learning institutions and enabling them to pass the civil service examination.

“If we can give them the right training, then we can also give them the opportunity to get the plantilla positions that have a hard time filling up,” he said.