Duterte order disappoints Philippine workers seeking end to short-term contracts

MANILA: Philippine labour groups expressed disappointment on Wednesday over a long- awaited executive order by President Rodrigo Duterte to crack down on shortterm hiring, saying it offered nothing new and left millions of workers without benefits.

Halting use of short contracts commonly referred to as ‘endo’, or ‘end of contract’, because they offer few or no benefits, was one of the populist campaign promises that put Duterte in office, but workers’ groups say he has dragged his heels on the issue.

Thousands marched on Labour Day on Tuesday to demand that Duterte issue an executive order, but the one he announced fell short of expectations. It promised to enforce an existing ban on illegal contracting and subtracting, and tasked lawmakers to come up with a new labour code.

“There is nothing new in favour of the workers,” said Elmer Labog, head of the Kilusang Mayo Uno ( May 1 Movement), a leftwing workers group.

“With this signal from the president, we are left without hope that the new legislation on labour will be favourable for us.”

Employers who practice ‘endo’ offer tenures shorter than six months, the threshold at which a worker must be made permanent, and entitled to benefits.

Carlos Isagani Zarate, a representative of the Bayan Muna or ‘Country First’ congressional party, said it was likely that big labour federations would outright reject Duterte’s order.