President Rodrigo R. Duterte answers queries from members of the media after administering the oath of office for the newly-appointed undersecretaries of different government agencies at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on August 1, 2016. ACE MORANDANTE/PPD
DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte said that he will go after employers who will continue with the practice of contractualizing workers.
In a press briefing on Monday, August 1, Duterte warned companies not to wait for government’s inspection or he would be “unforgiving” and intolerant.
“I would like to assume that everybody who falls under the category will honor what we are asking for the people. ‘Wag ninyo na akong hintayin na mahuli ko kayo (Don’t wait for me to catch you) because I will be unforgiving. You will not only lose your money, you will lose your funds,” he said.
“No tolerance ako dito. Ito ang pangako ko sa tao and I will do it. Hintoan na ninyo yan, bayaran niyo ang tao sa tamang sweldo. Stop contractualization, it will not do good to our country (I don’t have tolerance for this. This is my promise to the people and I will do it. Stop it, give the workers the salary that is due them),” said Duterte.
Duterte also said that Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello needs more warm bodies to do the inspection if the companies are compliant with the government laws. But he said the government has no resources and manpower to “really inspect all of the (companies).”
“Pag nalaman ko (If I caught you), I’ll just simply close your plant. Don’t tempt me,” he said.
Doable programs
Meanwhile, Kilusang Mayo Uno said that they appreciate the President’s commitment to end contractualization.
Jerome Adonis, secretary general of KMU said that they also call on the Duterte to present his concrete policies that would end contractualization in the country.
Adonis said among the doable proposals to curb contractualization that they presented to Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod is the junking of the Department of Labor and Employment Department Order 18-A.
They also proposed that Duterte orders the Congress to certify as urgent the passage of House Bill 556 or the Regular Employment Bill filed by Anakpawis Partylist that would amend the Labor Code and junk its Article 106-109.
“President Duterte should not worry that the government has not enough money or personnel to conduct inspections. Once he has set concrete policies and measures that would deem all contractualization schemes illegal, workers are ever willing to work with him in pinpointing employers that would violate his orders,” Adonis said.
“Like crimes and drugs, contractualization has become rampant in the country with four out of ten or 43.5 percent of rank-and-file workers are now hired under various contractual employment schemes. It violates every basic workers rights, it demeans their dignity as human beings and subjects workers to the worst forms of exploitation,” he said.
The group also urged the President to criminalize the practice of all contractual employment schemes.
“Capitalists who practice contractual employment schemes are profit addicts and should be heavily penalized. They abuse our workers blood, sweat and tears to get high on profits” he added. (davaotoday.com)
