Activist now on other side of labor fence
MANILA, Philippines - An activist who used to fight the government is now at the helm of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he feels comfortable and at ease in the DOLE even if he was on the other side of the fence in the past.
The 72-year-old human rights lawyer formally assumed his post as the country’s 28th labor secretary after a simple turnover ceremony yesterday at the DOLE main office in Intramuros.
Militant groups greeted Bello with a protest action in front of the DOLE office.
Bello said he was amused seeing a group of protesting workers while he was on his way to the turnover ceremony.
“I used to do that (join rallies), but now I am at the receiving end. But it’s not new to me. I still feel at home,” Bello told labor officials and employees as well as members of the business community, international organizations and recruitment industry who attended the turnover ceremony.
Bello said he worked with three other presidents – Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Gloria Arroyo – in various capacities.
As labor secretary, Bello said he also attended the longest Cabinet meeting presided over by President Duterte on Thursday, which lasted more than five hours.
According to Bello, he was surprised when Duterte announced his appointment as concurrent head of the government’s peace negotiating panel and DOLE chief.
Bello said Duterte only offered to him the post as peace negotiator, which he immediately accepted.
Duterte also declared DOLE would be among the positions to be given to members of the communist group – which, Bello joked, made him suspected of having been nominated by the National Democratic Front (NDF).
Although the post was given to him by surprise, Bello gave assurances that he would work and comply with the marching orders of Duterte to end illegal contractual employment, stop illegal recruitment, maintain industrial peace and reduce red tape in the department.
“Seventy-two hours is enough time for you to act after any paper reaches your table,” Bello told labor officials and employees.
Bello further assured DOLE officials and employees that they will remain in their posts unless they do something illegal.
“Treat me as a co-worker and colleague. I did not come here at the DOLE to kill,” he remarked.
Bello said he will initiate a performance audit and check complaints, mostly concerning quasi-judicial agencies under DOLE, that he received prior to his assumption to office.
Bello only had praises for his predecessor Rosalinda Baldoz.
He was hoping to equal the achievement of Baldoz, who set a good track record during her incumbency.
Bello said Baldoz did an excellent job as labor secretary and that he did not hear any derogatory feedback against her.
The new labor chief said he would also meet with labor leaders to discuss the implementation of anti-contractualization policy at the soonest possible time.
Militant labor groups, on the other hand, expressed hope that the Duterte government would be able to end job contractualization, considering Bello has a history of promoting human rights.
The Church-Labor Conference (CLC) called on Bello to start implementing the campaign promise of Duterte to do away with “endo,” short for end-of-contract or job contractualization.
“Contractualization of labor, specifically the practices of unscrupulous employers that directly violate or circumvent labor laws and regulations pertaining to labor contracting and regularization of employment, are arguably the gravest threat to our workers’ right to security of tenure,” the CLC said.
“Like the menace of illegal drugs and criminality in the country, it must be stopped. Otherwise, we will become a nation of endos where workers are deprived of their constitutional rights to gainful and productive employment,” the group added.
The CLC, however, conceded that addressing contractualization of labor is not that simple as it requires complex and sustainable solutions.
Bello said he is looking at the possibility of seeking the issuance of an executive order or enactment of a new law to implement the ban against contractualization.
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