NAPC council dismayed over order on total ban on labor-only contracting

The Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Council of National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) on Friday expressed “utter disappointment” with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III over issuance of Department Order No. 174, “contrary to the result of recent consultations and dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte.”

“In fact, during the NAPC 1st en banc meeting with the basic sectors, the President repeatedly affirm that contractualization is anti-poor and that he would not renege his campaign promise to the people,” the group said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, however, Secretary Bello goes against the marching order of the President and still issued an order that will only perpetuate the epidemic of contractual employment in the country,” it added.

Bello on Thursday issued DO 174, imposing a total ban on labor-only contracting, strictly regulating lawful contractual arrangements and ending end-of-contract or “endo” scheme.

READ: Gov’t orders total ban on labor-only contracting

Under endo or 555 scheme, workers renew their contracts every five months so employers can avoid the obligation of paying them as regular employees, who are afforded various benefits and privileges after six months at work.

The group said that the order will only benefit employers and will put workers at a disadvantageous position, calling the measure “unjust and repressive.”

“Any measure that regulates, instead of prohibiting, of contractual employment regime will not only give the employers a chance, especially the manpower providers, to circumvent the law just for profits but it also clearly denies the workers its constitutional and statutory rights,” it said.

Resenting the order, the council within the NAPC said that it will raise the issue in the next en banc meeting with the president and demand for the withdrawal of the said department order and that it will also submit a resolution calling for certification of House Bill No. 4444 urging a prohibition of all forms of contractualization as urgent bill.

The group said it will continue to struggle and will campaign and join rallies against the order.

“We firmly believe that to end the exploitation and modern-day slavery, the issuance of an order ought to be based on Constitutional demand of full protection, security of tenure, humane condition of work as well as family living wage and income for the workers as an over-arching framework,” it said. RAM