Labor groups reject compromise offerred by Duterte

by Tina G. Santos, Inquirer, Feb 28, 2018

Labor groups on Tuesday said they would not accept any compromise being pushed by President Rodrigo Duterte on the draft executive order (EO) prohibiting the contractualization of jobs.

“With regard to the labor-drafted executive order that we have submitted in a dialogue with the President on February 7, we will not accept a compromise,” Nagkaisa Labor Coalition spokesperson Rene Magtubo said.

“(D)iluting the EO would no longer effectively address the widespread contractualization of labor and the proliferation of agency-hiring that tremendously affect the workers’ right to security of tenure,” Magtubo said.

He added that the EO already had a provision that allows labor contracting in jobs that, by their nature, could be contracted out subject to consultation between the labor secretary and labor groups represented in the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council.

At the launch of a new shooting range in Davao City on Sunday, Mr. Duterte said he could not compel employers to support his plan to push for the regularization of contractual employees.

Because of the number of jobseekers and the scarcity of jobs, the President said he was seeking a compromise for workers and employers.

During the third and last debate among presidential candidates in April 2016, then Davao City Mayor Duterte promised to end contractualization.

“The moment I assume the presidency, contractualization will stop,” Mr. Duterte said then, adding that employers tried to get away with not paying workers their bonuses and 13th month pay by ending their contract (endo) before they automatically become regular employees after six months on the job.

In March 2017, the Department of Labor and Employment signed Department Order No. 174, which sets strict regulations on contracting and subcontracting arrangements.