Over 180,000 workers awaiting regularization

MANILA, Philippines -  Over 180,000 contractual workers nationwide are still waiting for regularization almost a year after the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) launched an intensified campaign against the endo (end of contract) scheme.

Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod said all DOLE regional offices have been directed to fast track the process as well as explain the reason for the delay in the regularization of affected workers.

“All regional offices were instructed to prioritize and speed up the process of regularization and validate the establishments’ commitment for regularization of their contractual workers,” Maglunsod said.

Data from the DOLE’s Bureau of Working Condition (BWC) showed that there are about 184,238 workers who are up for regularization.

According to Maglunsod, all regional directors had previously committed to implement a 100 percent regularization of contractual workers in their areas of jurisdiction and identified measures to meet the target.

As of June 16, Maglunsod said only 49,933 of the estimated 197,219 contractual workers nationwide have been regularized.

“In 2016, a total of 48,116 workers were regularized while from January to June this year, only 1,277 were regularized,” Maglunsod noted.

The delay prompted him to issue a memorandum to all regional directors to speed up the mandatory conference with employers for the immediate regularization of workers.

Maglunsod said all regional directors were also directed to submit a letter to the BWC not later than July 14 on their justification for the delay in meeting their commitment for 100 percent regularization of contractual workers.  

Aside from the order to the regional directors, Maglunsod said, DOLE is also set to adopt other measures to meet its commitment to eliminate endo and other illegal forms of contractualization by the end of the year.

Various labor unions are demanding that President Duterte issue an executive order and certify as urgent a proposed measure prohibiting endo and all other forms of contractualization.  

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said Duterte during the presidential campaign vowed to eliminate all forms of contractualization and he must fulfill his promise as soon as possible.