Various labor groups on Tuesday staged a protest condemning Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) department order (DO) 174, calling Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III “inutile” and “hugas kamay (running away from responsibility).”
“Kung seryoso si Bello at ang Rehimeng Duterte sa pagwawakas ng kontraktwalisasyon, maglalabas sila ng executive order na mag-uutos sa pagbabawal ng kontraktwal na paggawa at mag-uutos na gawing regular ang mga manggagawa,” labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said in a statement.
(If Bello and the Duterte regime are serious in bringing an end to contractualization, they would release an executive order that will prohibit it, give an order that will regularize the workers.)
“Ngunit sa inilabas na DO 174, ipinapakita ng Rehimeng Duterte sa pamamagitan ni Bello na wala itong isang salita at paninindigan para tuluyang wakasan ang kontraktwalisasyon,” the group added.
(But with the released DO 174, the Duterte regime through Bello only showed that the administration cannot keep its word and it doesn’t have a stand to put an end to contractualization.)
The labor groups held their protest in front of the DOLE building in Intramuros, Manila.
Bello last week issued DO 174, imposing a total ban on labor-only contracting, strictly regulating lawful contractual arrangements and ending the contract (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 called Bello an “inutile” for releasing an order favoring the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) and companies.
“Naghuhugas-kamay pa si Bello sa pagsasabing nasa Kongreso ang kapangyarihan para tuluyang pawiin ang kontraktwalisasyon. Si Bello ay binibigyan ng Batas Paggawa ng kapangyarihan na ipagbawal ang kontraktwal na paggawa,” the labor group said.
(Bello is running away from responsibility in saying that Congress has the power to end contractualization for good. But labor laws give Bello the power to ban contractualization.)
KMU also expressed support for the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) that is an agenda of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in peace talks with the government, saying that it is the labor groups’ hope today.
“Sinusuportahan ng PAMANTIK-KMU ang CASER at peace talks dahil ito ang paraan upang malutas ang ilang dekada na pahirap sa manggagawa na iskema ng kontraktwalisasyon,” it said.
(KMU is supporting CASER and the peace talks because this is the way to solve the decades-long oppression of workers with the contractualization scheme.)
“Bahagi ng CASER ang pagsusulong ng pambansang industriyalisasyon na magtitiyak ng disente at regular na hanapbuhay, nakabubuhay na sahod, at makataong kondisyon sa paggawa, at maayos na benepisyo para sa manggagawa at mamamayang Pilipino,” the group added.
(Among the parts of CASER are progressing national industrialization that will secure decent and regular work, adequate wages, humane condition and better benefits for the workers and the Filipino people.)