Welfare workers protest ‘endo’ circular

Workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-10) here protested yesterday against the implementation of a joint circular which will stop department from directly hiring contract of service workers next year.

The Joint Memorandum Circular 1, series of 2017 signed by the Department of Budget and Management, DSWD, and Civil Service Commission otherwise known as the Rules and Regulations Governing Contract of Service and Job Order Workers in the Government would mean a total of 856 workers under the contract of service of the DSWD-10 would no longer be working with the department.

DSWD-10 workers belonging to the Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines (Sweap) demonstrated its protest through a lightning rally at the DSWD-10 office here. Sweap is affiliated with the Confederation  for Unity, Recognition, and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage).

At the lightning rally, workers shouted, “Endo wag-tangon; Kontraktwalisa-syon hunongon; singgit sa mamumuo, regulari-sasyon.”

Morena Fernandez, Sweap president, sent a letter to the Civil Service Commissioner, Alica Dela Rosa-Bala, to manifest its protest to the implementation of the joint circular which will endanger the employment of 856 cost of service workers of DSWD-10.

“We, the Sweap Field Office 10 Chapter, are against the implementation of the Joint Circular No. 1, series of 2017, which is not humane and violates our right to participate in the nation-building, adequate standard of living, right to work in a just and favorable condition,“ Fernandez’s letter reads in part.

The DSWD-10 has 134 regular workers; 778 contractuals, and 856 contract of service workers.

Under the joint circular, DSWD can only hire contract of service through manpower agencies. (sweap x)