DOLE to hold 2 more labor summits to resolve endo

By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star), November 1, 2016

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is mounting two more labor summits within the month in an effort to resolve issues on contractualization.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III yesterday said separate labor summits will be held in the Visayas and Mindanao to gather more inputs from trade unions.

“We will conduct island-wide labor summits in the Visayas and Mindanao to ensure that all aspects of the issue are looked into, and that no one is marginalized by the decisions that we will make,” Bello said.

He added that after the labor summits, DOLE will initiate a dialogue between representatives of employers and labor groups as a final step before it issues a new Department Order to replace or amend DO 18-A.

A majority or about 85 percent of the labor groups that attended the labor summit in Luzon are not against the proposed “win-win strategy” of the employers’ sector on ending contractualization in the country.

According to Bello, DOLE will formulate a policy on employment contractualization based on the proposals of the employers and labor groups before the end of the year.

“We will come up with a policy or guideline that will be enforced by the department before the year ends. We will decide whether we will end contractualization, allow contractualization or come up with a balance of the two positions,” he said.

DOLE is also studying the “win-win structure” proposed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and supported by various employers’ groups.

Labor groups, on the other hand, are expected to come up with their unified proposal after the Visayas and Mindanao summits.

The Associated Labor Union said the DOLE’s decision in December will have a huge impact on the working conditions of millions of contractual workers in the country.