Bello on end of ‘endo’: 16,000 workers regularized

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday faced Inquirer editors and reporters in the paper’s headquarters in Makati City. ANTHONY Q. ESGUERRA/INQUIRER.net

Some 16,000 workers have been regularized under the administration of President Duterte, who earlier said in his trademark colorful language that he would kill businessmen engaged in illegal contracting or “endo” (end of contract), Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Wednesday.

READ: Digong: End ‘endo,’ or I kill you

“Endo is a no-no. It is contrary to law. Even the employers have agreed to stop it,” Bello said in an interview with Inquirer editors and reporters, adding that ending the practice was only a matter of strict enforcement of the law.

READ: ‘Duterte promise to stop endo being watered down, compromised’

Bello deemed the 16,000 figure, which “probably represents about 10 to 15 percent of the total number of irregular workers,” as a good start for the first three months of the Duterte administration.

“There is willingness and earnestness to comply,” he said.

In an earlier statement, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said 10,532 workers nationwide were regularized by 195 establishments within 100 days of consultations with the regional offices.

Endo is a scheme that circumvents the law by hiring workers for less than six months to avoid having to regularize them.

Bello said legal contracting, such as for security and janitorial services, was different from endo and labor-only contracting.

He said the Dole would hold two more labor summits in the Visayas and Mindanao before issuing a position on Department Order (DO) No. 18-A, which labor groups have denounced for legalizing contractualization.

“Labor groups are complaining because in the DO, which provides abuse of legal contractualization, you are allowed to source out employees,” Bello said, citing salesclerks in department stores who are hired only during the Christmas season.

“Why source out salesgirls when they are essential and necessary service of your business? They shouldn’t be sourced out,” he said.

During the consultations with employers, Dole regional offices urged them to voluntarily regularize their workers under endo or labor-only contracting.

Establishments, principals and contractors will also be inspected to ensure compliance, the labor department said. TVJ