Labor groups to picket Senate for ‘endo’ measure

MANILA, Philippines — Labor groups are poised to hold a rally at the Senate tomorrow to ask senators to approve the bill to ban “endo” or end of contract and stop labor contractualization before Congress goes on a break next week for the May 13 midterm elections.

According to Trade Union Congress of the Philippines president Raymond Mendoza, workers belonging to Nagka-isa labor coalition see the anti-endo bill as the final push to end irregular, short-term and poorly waged contractual workers in the country.

“Time is running out on the President’s campaign promise to end contractualization. Without Senate approval of the Security of Tenure bill, the fight to end contractualization is lost and the President’s certification of the bill as urgent is wasted,” he said.

Mendoza also reiterated their call to Duterte to push his allies in Congress to approve the bill. 

“Mr. President, the millions of endo workers need you on Monday. You must weigh in and ensure passage of Senate Bill 1826, otherwise known as the Security of Tenure or the Anti-Endo bill of 2018, which you certified as urgent on September last year to meet your promise to address endo,” he noted.

“We agree with the President that labor would adopt a reasonable position and step back on its absolute ban position, so we took the position of ensuring that the ban on contractualization would primarily focus on labor-only contracting when the only thing that the manpower agency really does is to merely recruit and deploy workers to companies,” he added.  

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III is also looking forward to the signing into law by Duterte of a proposed law that will expand the maternity benefits for female workers.

In a statement, Bello said the “law in-waiting” would extend the maternity leave period to 105 days for female workers in the government and the private sector, including those in the informal economy. 

“It is a priority legislation for the labor department. We strongly support its passage into law to provide working women with ample maternal care and ensure their safety and health. We have actively pushed for the passage of this bill,” he noted.

The labor chief said the bill underwent review by concerned government agencies, including the tripartite council. 

“We exerted efforts on this and I have high hopes it is signed by the President very soon,” he added.