EO vs illegal contracting ‘useless, nothing new,’ 2 solons say

Job seekers at the Labor Day Job Fair at the Manila City Hall. INQUIRER / Marianne Bermudez

The anti-illegal contracting executive order (EO) signed by President Rodrigo Duterte is “useless” and offers “nothing new,” two opposition lawmakers said on Tuesday.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao downplayed Duterte’s signing of an EO which has a “provision against illegal contracting and subcontracting,” and ensures “workers’ right to security.”

READ: Duterte signs EO vs illegal contracting

“Walang silbi ang EO na nilagdaan dahil ang pagbababawal sa labor only contracting (LOC) ay nasa Labor Code na. Ang kailangan ngayon ay maglabas ng policy na ipagbawal ang lahat na forms of job contracting,” Zarate said.

(The EO is useless because prohibiting “labor only contracting” is already in the Labor Code. What is needed now is to make a policy prohibiting all forms of job contracting.)

The militant lawmaker said the President was just trying to appease the rage of workers in the country following his unfulfilled campaign promise to end “endo,” or the “end of contract” hiring practice, where companies let go of workers before they complete six months of service.

“Gusto lang ng EO na ito ay pahupain ang galit ng mga manggagawa sa pagtalikod ni Pang. Duterte sa pangako niyang wakasan ang endo at kontraktwalisasyon,” he added.

(The EO just wants to appease the anger of the workers due to President Duterte turning his back to his promise on ending endo and contractualization.)

Casilao also pointed out that there is nothing new with the EO as it only “reiterates” existing labor laws in the country, which had been proven as “anti-worker.”

“Walang bago sa EO. Reiteration lang ‘yan ng (There’s nothing new with the EO. It’s only a reiteration of) existing labor laws that has been proven anti worker. Prohibiting LOC is already there but employers continue to circumvent and abuse,” he said.

“What the workers demanded is total prohibition of contractualization by virtue of direct hiring. Permissible and allowable contractualization should only be limited to seasonal and project based work with a strict provision of prohibiting repeated hiring of project based with same principal employer,” he added.

“Dapat nailagay sana sa EO na pangunahing prinsipyo ng gobyerno ang (They should put in the EO that the primary policy of the government is) direct hiring as a basic principle of employment,” Casilao continued.

Malacañang has yet to release a copy of the signed EO but there are two drafts of EO present: the one drafted by labor groups Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP), Kilusang Mayo Uno, and Nagkaisa, and the other made by the Department of Industry (DTI), Department of Labor (DOLE) and employer groups. /je