‘Endo’ to continue even after Duterte signed EO, says Colmenares

The signing of the Executive Order (EO) prohibiting illegal labor contracting only supported the contractualization issue in the country instead of ending it, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said Saturday.

Colmenares cited Sec. 2 of the EO which bans “illegal contracting and subcontracting” when undertaken to ‘circumvent workers rights to security of tenure, self-organization and collective bargaining.’

He slammed the said section of the EO saying that “contractualization continues unless the worker goes to DOLE and do the difficult task of proving that his hiring was intended to circumvent his security of tenure.”

“This does not add anything to the problem of contractualization which continues despite the Labor Code’s prohibition of illegal contractualization,” he said in a statement.

Colmenares also noted that President Rodrigo Duterte only issued the order following the protests that were staged by various labor groups.

“Duterte only issued the EO when he noticed the growing workers protest against another of his failed election promise.  The EO is nothing more than a deceptive ploy to appease the workers. The EO is just another Duterte joke,” he said.

Colmenares also said that if the proposed federal constitution would push through, contractualization  would still remain.

According to him, the right to security of tenure, living wage and humane working conditions were removed under the proposed charter.

“Ibig sabihin, pag na approve ang PDP-Laban Cha-Cha (Charter change), forever na ang kontraktwalisasyon,” he said.

“This is another proof of government’s lack of  sincerity in eliminating contractualization.  President Duterte is no different from any trapo making promises during elections just to get votes.”   /muf