Security of tenure for temporary gov’t workers OKd by panel
A bill providing for security of tenure for all casual and contractual employees of government who have have rendered certain years of service has been approved and recommended for plenary approval at the Senate.
Senate Bill 1184 was approved by the Senate committee on civil service, government reorganization and professional regulation chaired by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
The report prepared by the committee to send the bill to the plenary was signed by 10 senators, including Trillanes.
The nine other senators who affixed their signatures to the report were Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, vice chair of the committee, Senators Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II, Loren Legarda, Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon, Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Minority Leader Ralph Recto.
Poe signed with “reservations and amendments” while Sotto indicated that he would interpellate when the chamber deliberates on it on the floor.
Under the bill, all incumbent contractual government employees who have rendered at least five years of “continuous service in the case of national government agencies or a total of 10 years of continuous service in the case of local government units should be entitled to security of tenure.
“Provided, that said requirement of continuous service may be waived if the service of the official/employee concerned prior to the completion of the said years, was interrupted by not more than three years, taken cumulatively, due to either abolition of his position, reorganization of the office wherein he was phased out, or reduction in force,” it said.
“Provided, further, that in the case of officials/employees who have been previously employed in the same government agency in any capacity, the said requirement of continuous service may likewise be waived if the interruption of their service is not more than eighteen (18) months, taken cumulatively, so long as the minimum required period is met.”
The bill also provides that all of the positions affected by the proposed measure currently held by the covered employees should be deemed necessary and/or desirable for the efficient operation of the government and should be marked as co-terminus with the incumbent.
“All covered employees may not be separated or terminated from the said positions except for just or lawful cause and with due process of law nor can their positions be abolished except when the same are vacated by their incumbents,” it further said.
Both chambers of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives—should pass the bill before it is submitted to the President for signature. RAM/rga
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