Poe scoffs at ‘tuwid na daan,’ hits ‘perpetual’ contractualization

Grace Poe/FACEBOOK PHOTO

Senator Grace Poe twitted the administration’s “tuwid na daan” (straight path), saying that many people are still hopeless and living in poverty despite its implementation.

“Sabi nila, meron na raw nagawa na matuwid na daan. Tuwid nga, ma-trapik naman (They say that the straight path has paved for improvements. While the path is straight, it has been riddled by traffic),” Poe said when she spoke before the 70th celebration of the Philippine Government Employees Association-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Monday.

“Sa madaling salita, meron din mabuti na nagawa ang huling administrasyon. Pero kailangan din nating magising sa katotohanan: hindi lahat ng naisagawa nu’ng nakalipas na anim na taon ay nakapagbigay ng ginhawa sa karamihan. Marami pa rin ang naghihirap, nagugutom at walang pag-asa,” she said.

(In other words, the previous administration has its share of accomplishments. But we also need to open our eyes to the truth: not everything that has been done the past six years was able to improve the lot of most people. There are still those who suffer poverty and hunger, and have lost hope.)

READ: Poe’s 20-point platform tightens race

The senator lamented that more than 20 percent of the government’s workforce were either contractual or co-terminus, which she said was “unfair and unjust.”

“Walang higit na sasakit pa sa isang manggagawa, sa pribado o sa pampublikong sektor man, na magising siya isang araw, wala na siyang trabaho dahil natapos o tinapos na ang kanyang kontrata; o kaya naman, tinanggal siya dahil hindi siya ‘kasangga’ o ‘kabagang’ ng pulitikong naluklok sa puwesto,” she said.

(There is nothing more painful for a worker—whether in a private or public sector—to wake up one day without a job because his contract has ended or he has been terminated because he is not close to the one in power.)

“Hindi po maaari ito (This cannot be). We need to uphold what our laws—the Constitution and the Labor Code—provide.”

If elected, Poe said she would push for the regularization of workers both in government and in the private sector to ensure that their constitutional rights to full protection, equal opportunity, organization and a just and living wage are given.

READ: Contractualization: Is it legal and just?

“Even as we recognize the need to maintain a reasonable degree of flexibility of employers, those workers who have proven their worth within six months and whose services will remain needed by a private company or a government agency must be regularized,” she said.

Poe pointed out that “perpetual contractualization results in perpetual insecurity of tenure.”

“It contributes to poverty, is unfair and unjust. I believe that helping workers to have more long-term careers should bolster productivity,” she said.

The lawmaker also announced the impending passage of the Salary Standardization law of 2015, which the House committee on appropriations already approved and which the Senate is set to pass before the end of the year.

The bill mandates a P226-billion compensation increase for national government personnel over a period of four years. It also provides a tax-free 14th-month pay and performance bonus for employees under Salary Grades 1 to 11, or some 606,000 state workers.

READ: Half of gov’t employees may get higher benefits for 2015

“Most of you, I know are overworked but underpaid. Ito ang pinakamapait na katotohanan na bagaman kayo ang nasa harap ng serbisyo publiko, kayo rin ang hindi nakatatanggap ng mga benepisyo at pribilehiyong dapat ay sa inyo (This is the most painful reality: that despite being at the forefront of public service, you do not receive the benefits that you deserve),” Poe said.

More than a salary increase, Poe said workers needed a just taxation system that will not negate the gains of any compensation adjustment. This is why, she said, she remains firm on her stand to lower income taxes.

“One of the pillars of my program of government is good governance. Ano ba ang ibig sabihin nito? Sa tingin namin, importante na may isang gobyerno na kayang magsulong ng mga reporma na magtatatag ng tunay na pagbabago sa ating bansa (What does this mean? I think it is important for us to have a government that will advance reforms that will promote reforms that will institute change in the country),” the senator said.

Poe vowed to build and lead a government that is centered on the people.

“Sa isang ‘gobyernong may galing at may puso (In a government that has competence and heart),’ the people come first. It is a government that works and works well,” she said. “Sa ating pamahalaan, hindi po natin pahihintulutan na maging kasangkapan ang isang maliit na kawani sa paggawa ng masama sa burukrasya (In our government, I will not allow any employee be an accessory to damage the bureaucracy).”

“We will adhere strictly to meritocracy; appointments will be based solely on a person’s qualifications and promotions will be based solely on performance,” said the senator.

Poe said she would also take steps to professionalize the bureaucracy and digitize government processes to do away with the long queues in government offices. IDL