Labor groups urge Duterte to sign EO vs. contractualization

The Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition and Kilusang Mayo Uno on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to sign a new executive order that will end contractualization and other schemes used to curtail security of tenure.

“It’s about time the President makes good on his vow to end contractualization and stay true to his commitment to us during our last dialogue on Labor Day to issue an Executive Order to fulfill this promise,” Nagkaisa and KMU said in a joint statement.

The executive order is supposed to ban contractualization if it interferes with a worker’s right to security of tenure, organize into unions, and collective bargaining.

Nagkaisa and KMU will be joined by the Associated Labor Unions (ALU)-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and others in a landmark event on February 7.

“We want the President to issue an executive order prohibiting all forms of contractualization based on the position we submitted,” Nagkaisa! and KMU said.

Their version of the EO states that “Contracting or subcontracting when undertaken to circumvent the worker’s rights to security of tenure, self-organization, collective bargaining and peaceful concerted activities pursuant to the 1987 Philippine Constitution is hereby strictly prohibited.”

Prior to their meeting, Duterte will meet Kuwait Ambassador to the Philippines Musaed Saleh Althwaikh regarding the suspension of OFW deployment to Kuwait.

Among the promises Duterte made early in his presidency was putting an end to the practice of “endo” or end of contract before the sixth month of employment, which keeps a worker from gaining regular employment status.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III earlier said President Rodrigo Duterte may sign the EO this month. —Rie Takumi/VDS, GMA News