Jinggoy vows to support TUCP’s ‘Otso-Otso’ agenda for labor in Senate

Team Unity Senatorial bet Jinggoy Estrada

MANILA, Philippines — Team Unity senatorial candidate Jinggoy Estrada hailed the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) for its “Otso-Otso” or eight-point legislative wish list for the welfare of the country’s workers in both the public and the private sector, saying the proposals will be on top of his priority bills he succeeds in his bid for a Senate comeback.

Estrada, president of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, vowed to author TUCP’s “Otso-Otso” legislative agenda in the Senate, adding that all eight proposals will be included in the first batch of bills he will file in the legislative chamber.

“Sakaling palarin akong makabalik bilang chairman ng Committee on Labor, sinisiguro ko na ang walong panukalang ito ay maisasama sa legislative priorities ng nasabing komite. (I can guarantee that all eight proposals will be included in the legislative priorities of the Committee on Labor should I get lucky to return as its chairman),” said Estrada.

The former senator also expressed gratitude to the country’s biggest labor group and all Filipino workers and their families for supporting his senate comeback bid.

Estrada championed the cause of the country’s labor force during his term as Senate member and chairman of the labor panel in most part of his 12-year tenure in the legislative chamber.

“I am truly grateful to the TUCP for coming up with the Otso-Otso legislative agenda that will help guarantee a better deal not only for workers in the private sector but also to those in government,” said Estrada.

Cited for consistently registering perfect attendance during his stint as senator, Estrada also called on his counterpart in the House of Representatives to join him in supporting TUCP’s legislative goals.

The TUCP’s legislative proposal:

• Enactment of a “genuine” Security of Tenure Law that would make regularization of worker the norm in labor relations, instead of contractualization or the notorious ‘endo’.
• Passage of the Public Service Labor Relations bill to implement International Labor Organization Labor Convention (ILC) No. 151 that recognizes the right of government workers to organize, enter into a collective bargaining agreement and engage in peaceful collective action.
• Ratification of ILC 190 protecting workers against violence and sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Approval of the Equivalency Bill for Public Sector for the regularization of job order, contractual and other workers in government with similar employment status even without passing the Civil Service Examination
• Enactment of the Magna Carta of Seafarers to protect the rights of the country’s seafarers
• Ratification of ILC No. 188 to safeguard workers in the fishing industry – one of the most hazardous, unregulated and exploitative industries
• Strengthening further the freedom of association and the right of workers to collectively bargain and ensure Philippines compliance to its commitments with EU-Generalized System of Preferences( GSP) + and US-GSP
• Approval of the Magna Carta for Workers in the Informal Economy

/MUF