Pass anti-contractualization bill, 20th Congress urged

MANILA, Philippines — Workers yesterday urged the incoming members of the 20th Congress to not just re-file measures for a legislated wage hike, but also pursue measures to end all forms of contractualization.

The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) stressed the need for the passage of both the proposed P200 nationwide legislated wage increase and the Anti-Contractualization Bill.

“Wage hikes help workers breathe, but without job security, they’re just one signature away from falling back into poverty,” FFW president Sonny Matula said.

He noted that the Constitution guarantees both a living wage and security of tenure.

“But in practice, many workers barely have either. If LGUs can regularize, what’s stopping Malacañang?” Matula said as he called on President Marcos to certify those two bills as urgent.

As of June 30 last year, Matula said, there were 132,499 non-career Contract of Service and 506,118 Job Order workers in the government, while in the private sector, between 22 to 30 percent of the workforce are contractual.

The FFW reported that many companies in the Calabarzon region are employing workers from manpower agencies and cooperatives.

Business groups have consistenly opposed a legislated wage hike, warning that it could lead to job losses and the shutdown of businesses.

They say that over 90 percent of enterprises in the country are small operations that will be hit hardest by the legislated wage hike.