LABOR GROUPS SAY: Duterte forgot campaign promise to end work contractualization

RALLY AGAINST CONTRACTUALIZATION/FEB. 3, 2017: Less than 100 militant group members stage a protest rally infront of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE7) to protest against contructualization and capitalism in the country.(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

A labor group is hopeful that President Rodrigo Duterte will sign an executive order today putting an end to contractualization, as the world celebrates Labor Day.

Dennis Derige, coordinator of Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, said they urge President Duterte to keep his campaign promise.

“He is too much focused on his war against drugs that he forgot his promise to end contractualization,” he told Cebu Daily News.

The Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa is one of the Cebu-based groups that will hold a protest rally today, Labor Day.

The march starts at 8 a.m today from P. Del Rosario Street going to Colon Street and end in Plaza Independencia.

“The working people gave President Duterte the benefit of the doubt on his promise to end the oppressive policy of labor contractualization,” he added.

The labor group is disappointed with the issuance of Department Order (D.O.) 174 signed by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III last March.

Derige said that D.O 174 allows businesses to hire workers through agencies. Moreover, cooperatives can now engage in labor contracting and subcontracting.

The DO no longer requires the principal employer to provide unions a copy of the service contract of contractual employees, and allows contracting agencies to further downplay the price of labor costs — guaranteeing even lower salaries and benefits for workers across industries.

“Truth is, the Duterte regime is only consistent in one thing: it wants to kill, and the freedom to kill who it wants to kill — legal, social and international consequences be damned.

The spate of extrajudicial killings occurring all over the country — ostensibly sponsored and abetted by the Philippine National Police’s Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel,” he said.

Derige is also worried over the revival of the death penalty as well as lowering of age of criminal liability.

Another labor group, the Cebu Labor Coalition (CELAC) is also joining the rally today.

Metudio Belarmino, CELAC president, said they will also raise their concerns over D.O. 174 and urge the President to issue an Executive Order to stop D.O. 174.

The Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) will also hold a separate rally.

Piston’s concerns are the phaseout of jeepneys over 10 years old..

Meanwhile, DOLE-7 will hold its Labor Day activity in Talisay City.

DOLE-7 is encouraging job seekers to attend local and international job fairs today at the Cebu Provincial field office, the Abellana Sports Complex, SM City Cebu and Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City. An estimated 10,000 job vacancies are waiting to be filled up.