Contractuals at poverty body denounce chief

The tables were turned on activist turned poverty commission chief Liza Maza as contractual employees of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and their supporters picketed her office in Quezon City on Friday to denounce the non-renewal of the contracts of many workers

The Kaisahan ng mga Di-Regular na Empleyado ng NAPC (Kadre), clad in black shirts and carrying placards decrying “endo” or contractualization, marched outside the main building of the NAPC, demanding that Maza come down and dialogue with them.

The workers had recently been informed through individual memoranda that their contracts would not be renewed.

Earlier this month, Maza issued the memoranda informing 82 employees that as of Sept. 30, their contracts of service would be ended and would “no longer be subject to renewal.”

There are 107 contractual employees in the NAPC. The NAPC has only 50 regular (plantilla) positions.

Maza, however, told the contractual employees that they may apply for regular positions and a committee would be formed for the purpose.

Terminated without review

In an interview, Maza said some 40 contractuals had already been rehired.

Kadre president Joseph Aquino, however, railed at Maza for “terminating” the contractuals before reviewing their cases for possible renewal of contract.

“In her termination notice, there was no reason as to why she was removing us… our functions are necessary,” Aquino said, adding that some of the contractuals had been with NAPC since the Arroyo administration.

Aquino himself has been a contractual at the NAPC for five years. His latest contract ended yesterday. “She asks us to reapply, but it is not clear what the process for that is. For what position, what job?”

“There is no advice as to who will report [to work], what will happen [next week]?” Aquino said. “If it’s still under review, then don’t terminate us first,” he added.

Aquino said they had been seeking a dialogue with Maza since August but she “ignored” their letters.