Labor groups press for workers’ version of anti-contractualization EO
Photo: Laiko file
Press Statement
In a follow up to the joint action of the broadest united alliance of trade unions and workers’ associations on February 7, prior to labor’s dialogue with President Duterte, Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition and Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) vowed to conduct daily actions until March 15 against a watered-down version of the labor sector drafted executive order (EO) prohibiting labor contractualization.
“We, Filipino workers, strongly convey to President Duterte that signing anything less than the labor sector’s executive order against contractualization is unacceptable. Two decades of merely regulating contractualization has only led to widespread violations on workers’ rights to regular and decent jobs. All forms of contractualization must stop now,” said Nagkaisa! and KMU in a press conference.
“The failure of the President to sign the draft EO presented to him by workers last February 7 is perceived by many workers as turning his back on a longstanding presidential promise. We fear that the government delayed the signing of the EO to water it down in line with its previous policies that has institutionalized and not prohibited contractual employment,” KMU and Nagkaisa! said.
“The current draft EO submitted to the President is realistic in how it shifts policy away from the dead end of contractual employment into something fairer and more decent: prohibition of contractualization and the return to direct hiring employment as the norm. This proposed EO is where the trade union movement stands united, and this is where contractualization must now fall. It is now in the President’s hands. Either he fulfills his two-year old promise or align himself with leaders who pushed workers aside.” Nagkaisa! and KMU said.
Following the Labor Day dialogue between the President and labor groups in Davao last year, Nagkaisa! and KMU initiated efforts to draft an executive order. The President first promised to sign the EO, as long as he receives the draft within ten days from Labor Day. Nagkaisa! and KMU submitted the draft ahead of the deadline.
What has become a series of promises to end contractualization reached another chapter when the President asked labor to “give him until March 15” to release an EO, after he consults his legal team.
“Last year, we anticipated a department order that will prohibit contractualization. However, Secretary Bello released DO 174, which yet again, only regulates the anti-labor practice, If the new issuance will only reiterate what DO 174 and the orders that went before it provides, then it will be of no use to workers. The slave-like conditions that workers experience as a result of contractualization will continue to worsen,” Nagkaisa! and KMU said.
He first vowed to end contractualization on the campaign trail, saying he will end it in six months upon his assumption of the presidency. Labor groups nationwide during islandwide summits and the national labor summit reiterated their calls to prohibit contractualization. The calls fell on deaf ears.
Labor groups also condemned Labor and Employment Sec. Silvestre Bello III for sabotaging the labor sectors demands to end contractualization by failing to adhere to his commitments during previous labor dialogues to lobby for the signing of the workers’ EO.
“The Labor Secretary broke his commitments during previous dialogues by not pushing for the labor sector EO to the President. It was only through the insistence of workers that we were able to prevail upon the Secretary to submit the workers’ version of the EO to the President during the dialogue,” Nagkaisa! and KMU said.
The KMU and Nagkaisa! meanwhile announced their plans to conduct a series of nationwide workers’ protests against the watering-down of the labor sector EO and to assert their demand to end all forms of contractualization.
“All member-trade union centers, labor federations, local unions and workers’ associations of KMU and Nagkaisa!, between now and the first week of March will troop to field offices, regional offices and the national office of the DOLE as part of our sustained actions to call for an end to contractulization. Everyday, from March 12 – 15, we will collectively march to Mendiola in a show of unity to assert our Filipino workers resounding demand to end all forms of contractualization,” Nagkaisa! and KMU announced.
“Starting today until March 12, we also plan to collect a million signatures though an online and printed petition calling on President Duterte to sign the labor sector EO versus labor contractualization,” KMU and Nagkaisa! also announced.#
