Incoming Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello says the Duterte administration is determined to resolve the issue of contractualization of workers. Bello also met with the business sectors in a consultative forum held at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao City to discuss the said issue. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY – Incoming Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said he does not believe that regularizing employees will hamper the progress of a business. He said that it is even helpful to businesses when workers are regularized as this would motivate them to be productive.
“I don’t believe that the regularization of employees should be a bar to the progress of the business. As a matter of fact, I see as good for the company because if your employees are regular, they get the benefits provided under the law and your labor force are now well-motivated,” Bello told reporters here on Tuesday morning, June 21.
Bello said the incoming administration will push for the regularization of employees.
Bello also said he would be meeting the business sector here Tuesday afternoon.
However, Bello said there are instances when a company is not capable of regularizing all its workers.
“Kailangan din equitable implementation eh. Mahirap na maging strikto ka to the detriment of the management (There should be equitable implementation. It would be difficult if you are too strict to the detriment of the management),” Bello said citing a case of a company who has 13,000 employees, where 9,000 to 10,000 are regular.
“I can be lenient to the 3,000 (contractuals),” Bello said.
Bello said there are also instances where the need of the company for certain employees are seasonal or project-basis.
Acceptable ratio
Bello said “for practical reason I would consider an 80-20 arrangement” of the company’s ratio of regular and contractual employees.
He said bigger companies, most especially can accommodate the said ratio.
“It depends on the circumstances, but to me I would consider 80-20 is acceptable,” he said
Salesladies
However, Bello said the contracting of sales ladies working in big malls should stop.
“We’ll have to talk to them, it (contractualization) has to stop,” he said.
“Hindi naman maganda yung ganun (that is not good),” he added.
Bello said apart from janitors and security guards, malls hire sales personnel.
“Because the main business is selling so you need them permanently. You cannot open a mall without a sales girl, right?,” he said.
However, Bello said the need for a number of security guards and the janitors in malls are sometimes based on the season.
“Sometimes you need several of them, sometimes you need only a few. That you can get from service providers,” he said.
Bello said they will release a department order regarding contractualization. (davaotoday.com)
