NAPC seeks executive order banning contractualization

THE National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), together with various labor groups, will formally ask President Rodrigo R. Duterte to sign an executive order (EO) that will prohibit “all forms of contractualization” during its next en banc meeting on May 15.

“The NAPC Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sectoral Council will raise the issue in the next en banc meeting with the President on May 15 and request… an executive order that will prohibit all forms of contractualization that guarantees security of tenure of all workers,” Edwin A. Bustillos, NAPC Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sector representative, said.

The NAPC, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition held a news conference yesterday, announcing their positions against all forms of contractualization.

Liza L. Maza, lead convenor of the NAPC, said that the Department Order (DO) 174, issued by Department of Labor and Employment ( DoLE) Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III last month, failed to provide what the workers are asking for.

“The problem with the order of Secretary Bello is, it does not address the needs of workers, so workers are asking the President himself to act because this was on his campaign agenda),” Ms. Maza said in Filipino during the news conference.

DO-174 issued by the DoLE on March 16 banned several forms of contractualization, but not contractualization overall.

Ms. Maza said that this is the first time that various labor organizations, together with the NAPC, formed an alliance “to strongly oppose” contractualization.

“For the first time in history, our workers, workers organization and trade unions are united against a common enemy: contractualization.... The NAPC supports this fight, as we believe that in order to address poverty and inequality, it is necessary that we end contractualization,” Ms. Maza said.

Mr. Bustillos said that they have the draft EO but they can’t release it yet since they are still on the period of consultation.

However, Mr. Bustillos said that the “gist” of the said draft EO includes “prohibiting all forms of contractualization, strengthening of enforcement of penalty provisions, and the prohibition of all forms of labor service cooperatives.”

Mr. Bustillos said that a draft EO was put together in coordination with the labor groups.

“Our hope is that the executive order applies to all contracting and subcontracting arrangements, including labor cooperatives engaging in subcontracting and contracting,” Mr. Bustillos said in Filipino.

Mr. Bustillos said that they will also ask Mr. Duterte during the en banc meeting to certify as urgent House Bill 4444 or the proposed Security of Tenure of Act, and House Bill 556, a proposed act prohibiting the practice of labor contractualization and promoting regularization. Both measures are still pending at the House of Representatives.

Recently, the TUCP said it will be filing a petition after Labor Day for a P157 across-the-board wage hike in Metro Manila. The labor group has also written a proposal to the Office of the President for the establishment of a P500 subsidy program for the country’s minimum wage earners. —