Ka Leody: Labor secretary has power to end contractualization

(FILE) UNDETERRED Presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman addresses supporters at his proclamation rally on Tuesday night at Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City, which pushed through despite the lack of a permit. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s labor secretary has the power to end contractualization, presidential candidate and labor leader Leody de Guzman said Wednesday.

De Guzman lamented that over the past 30 years, labor secretaries in the country did not stop contractualization as they were influenced by capitalists or believe that if businessmen have excess money, it would be distributed to the masses.

“Simple lang ‘yan. May kapangyarihan ang Department of Labor, ‘yung secretary of labor to restrict or prohibit ‘yang sistemang ‘yan,” he said in a presidential candidate forum organized by the University of Santo Tomas.

(It’s simple. The Department of Labor and Employment, the secretary of labor, has the power to restrict or prohibit that system.)

“Isang order lang ng secretary of labor na i-prohibit ‘yang contractualization ay mawawala na. Hindi nga lang ginagawa dahil ‘yung mga nakaupong gobyerno, mula noon hanggang sa ngayon, ay nasa bulsa ng kapitalista or naniniwala sa idea na pagka binuhay mo ‘yung mga negosyante, ‘pag napuno ‘yung bulsa nila, aawas, at makikinabang ang bayan, makikinabang ang mamamayan,” he pointed out.

(One order from the labor secretary to prohibit contractualization, it will be gone. It is just not acted upon by those in positions, then and now, because they are in the pockets of capitalists or they believe the idea that if a businessman is living, their pockets are full, it will spill, and the masses of the country will benefit from it.)

However, De Guzman said money is not trickling down from the pockets of businessmen.

“Hindi naman umaawas dahil lumolobo ‘yung mga bulsa nila. Habang nilalagyan mo ng tubo nila, lumolobo nang lumolobo. Kaya walang tumagas. Hindi nag-trickle. Kaya walang nakinabang—napakinabangan ng mamamayan,” the presidential hopeful said.

(It is not spilling because their pockets expand. While you put profit in it, it swells and expands. So, the public does not benefit.)

If elected president, De Guzman said that he will issue an executive order to speed-up the end of contractualization.

“Kaya simple lang ‘yan. Order lang ng secretary of labor o kung hindi, kung nagmamadali ako — dahil sa ilalim ko ‘yan, kung ako ay presidente — maglalabas lang ako ng executive order,” he shared.

(So, it’s simple. Just order from the secretary of labor or if I’m in a hurry — since it will be under me if I’m president — I will release an executive order.)

Aside from his plan to end contractualization, De Guzman earlier said he intends to impose a 20-percent wealth tax on the top 500 wealthiest individuals in the country to close the inequality gap between the rich and poor.

De Guzman recently accepted the offer of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III for a dialogue wherein he will discuss wealth tax and lay out his party’s platforms.

De Guzman is running under the Partido Lakas ng Masa with activist Walden Bello as his vice president.

/MUF