Duterte admin to set 10% limit on contractual workers – Bello

The incoming Duterte administration will no longer allow companies to employ more than 10 percent of the workforce under the controversial scheme called contractualization in which the worker never gets regularized.

"There is a Labor code that already mandates that there is no contractualization, Incoming Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told reporters in Davao City on Tuesday.

"Nasa batas na 'yan, and it's just a matter of implementing the law. Kailangan ng strict but equitable implementation of the law," Bello told reporters in Davao.

Among the equitable ways of putting the law in place include letting companies have 10 percent of the workers as contractual employees.

"Depende sa kakayanan ng kompanya," he said, noting big companies may be allowed to employ as much as 20 percent.

"Sa akin, for practical reasons, siguro I would consider an 80-20 arrangement lalo na kung malaki 'yung kompanya," he added.

Bello noted, however, that for companies with more than 10,000 employees, 10 percent would translate to over 1,000 contractual employees. "Malaki na 'yun masyado 'di ba? So depende din," he said.

Bello earlier said that putting a stop to contractualization in government is a priority of the Labor Department during his term.

But private companies must also implement such rules, he said.

"Am very happy with the way Secretary Bello is handling this issue," Donald Dee, president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, said in a text message  to GMA News Online. "Am confident that he will be able to settle this issue."

72-hour timeline

"Basically, ang sinasabi ng batas natin, 'yung employer, when he gets an employee, it should be a regular employee. But it passes through a probationary period.

"Ang ginagawa kasi, after five months, 'We will assess' and then you will come back later on.'Yung tao hindi niya ma-attain 'yung status of being a regular employee and that is done regularly," Bello emphasized.

"Kung magaling 'yung employee na 'yun, bakit mo naman hindi kukunin?" he added.

Other reforms Bello intends to implement under his watch as DOLE chief is the fast-tracking of business processes.

"Para sa assurance ng business, we will impose 'yung timeline ni President Duterte - 72 hours timeline. Lahat ng opisina under the DOLE – pag-pumasok ang papel sa opisina mo, dapat lumabas 'yan whether approved or disapproved. Palabasin mo 'yan otherwise you can be administratively charged," he emphasized.

Bello is scheduled to meet with businessmen Tuesday afternoon to discuss labor reforms.

"I'm going to meet them today. Ilalabas ko na 'yan sa kanila. It's not a question of policy. That's a mandate. We have to implement that," he said. – VDS, GMA News