Senator Joel Villanueva. PHOTO FROM JOEL VILLANUEVA FACEBOOK PAGE
Congress could not legislate a ban on labor contractualization in the country without knowing the government’s stand on it through an executive order (EO), Senator Joel Villanueva said on Tuesday.
While he agreed with Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s earlier statement that a law was necessary to end the practice of contractualization, the senator said the EO could provide the framework for the implementation of a national policy on contractualization.
“I agree that a law is necessary to end unjust contractualization. We are now on the final stage of preparing our committee report for plenary action,” Villanueva, who chairs the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, said in a text message.
One important factor that the committee is considering, he said, is the inputs of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) to ensure that a measure they would pass in Congress would be “operationable.”
It would be the Dole that would implement the total ban if the measure is enacted into law, noted the senator.
“Unfortunately, while DOLE attended the committee hearings, they have not submitted a clear position on the issue. That’s why the EO (Executive Order) is important because we have to consider the real position of the implementing agency on this matter,” Villanueva said.
“We expect the EO to provide the framework and guidance for the implementation of a national policy on contractualization. We cannot legislate based on news items or without knowing the clear position of the executive on this matter. We want to ensure that what we are legislating is useful and effective,” he added.
On Monday, Guevarra reiterated the need for a law to end contractual work arrangements in the country, saying the proposed EO would not be enough to enforce a total ban on contractualization.
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/kga