By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
THE Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) yesterday lauded President Duterte over his order to end the practice of contractualization in the country.
Nicandro Borja, ALU-TUCP vice president for northern Mindanao, said the labor sector was very happy with Duterte’s warning that he would close down companies found to be practicing contractualization.
“Nalipay kami ug dako nianang pronouncement sa Presidente nga wala nay labor contractualization,” said Borja, pointing out that ALU-TUCP and other labor groups have long been calling for its abolition.
This means, he said, that all those working for any company would become regular employees after six months.
Borja said the policy would also rid the country of job placement agencies. “Äng mga kompaniya ra man usab ang tag-iya ni-ana.”
On Monday, Duterte decried the “lackadaisical attitude” of some companies towards contractualization, and told them to pay their employees justly.
“Stop it, pay the workers the right wages. Stop contractualization!” he said.
Duterte said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III would send personnel to inspect companies to ensure they stop contractualization.
He warned them to “not wait for us to inspect” because “I’ll just simply close your plant and would always find a thousand reasons to do it.”
“I would like to assume that everybody who falls under that category will honor what we are asking for the people. 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.
Duterte said he feels sorry for contractual workers who are made to work for more than eight hours a day and do tasks that are not in line with their skills.
“Some are despondent, they are being passed from one expertise to another. Sabi ko, yung Tesda, we spend so much training people for a particular skill and kung yang contractualization na yan, he gets one position today, for the next five months, sabi ko nga, electricians, when all the while, he was trained to be a plumber or a carpenter. You do not help the people with the security of tenure,” he said.
He singled out the manpower and security agencies that supply contractual workers to companies.
He said these agencies should pay all the benefits that are due to the workers.
“Pay all the benefits. Don’t enrich yourself with the sweat of other people. That’s foolishness. If you are outsourcing, whatever, airlines, assume therefore as the real employer. So bayaran ninyo lahat, SSS,” he said.
“If you do not take care of the workers, then I cannot take care of you. Eh ano yan eh... tit for tat. So, yan ang warning ko,” he said. (with reports from antonio colina IV of mindanews)
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