"Endo" is a now a thing of the past, claims Bello

The illegal practice of terminating workers before reaching six months to avoid regularization or "endo" is now a "thing of the past," according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

"I want to emphasize na 'yung endo is a thing of the past dahil mismong mga employers and management group ay tinatanggap naman nila na talagang bawal 'yan," Bello said in an interview on "News to Go" on Tuesday.

"That is against the law and they promised to cooperate with the government and the President na wala nang endo talaga," he added.

Unlawful contractualization must be distinguished from legitimate contractualization, the Labor chief noted.

"Example, 'yung mga security guards under the law pwedeng i-source out 'yung mga security guards, allowed 'yan na i-contractual mo sila – 'yung mga service companies. O kaya 'yung janitorial services pwedeng ring i-contract out 'yan. 'Yun ang example ng legitimate contractualization," Bello noted.

Employees whose services are necessary or beneficial to a company's business should not be contractual, he noted.

"Halimbawa 'yung mga services ng mga sales girls. Alam naman natin na 'yung mga sales girls ay kailangang-kailangan ng mga retail business. Pagka nasa retail business ka, kagaya ng mga malls, kailangan mo ng service ng mga sales girls – hindi dapat sino-source out 'yan, dapat regular ang status ng ating mga sales girls. Kaya pagka-sinource out 'yan illegal 'yan," he emphasized.

Bello noted that the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) draft Department Order (DO) No. 30 was intended to amend DO 18-A series of 2011, or the Rules Implementing Articles 106 to 109 of the Labor Code, which allows contracting and subcontracting arrangements.

"Ito nga ang purpose ng aming pina-finalize na department order, 'yung DO 30. Pero this is intended to revise or modify 'yung DO 18-A dahil sa aming pag-aaral ito 'yung department order na ginamit para i-circumvent 'yung batas tungkol sa legitimate or lawful contractualization," he said.

Under the draft DO 30, subcontracting will no longer be allowed.

But the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Federation of Free Workers, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, and Partido Mangggagawa aren't buying the government line that the draft order will put an end to contractualization, saying that it would instead perpetuate the practice of endo.

Bello said the labor groups' call for the elimination of all forms of contractualization is not possible as the law allows legal contractualization of certain jobs.

"Pero merong mga panawagan ang ating mga labor unions na sana wala ng any form of contractualization. We understand their position, pero hindi natin magawa because there is a law that allows it. Until there is a law that repeals this law then we have to comply with the provisions of the law which allows legal or legit contractualization," he said.

"Ang gusto ng ating Presidente ay wakasan 'yung illegal contractualization or unlawful, pero 'yung legal hindi mo pwedeng galawin 'yan dahil 'yan po ay allowed under our laws," he added. — Ted Cordero/VS, GMA News