Partylist group opposes security of tenure bill

CLARK FREEPORT — The Anakapwis party-list, together with other Makabayan bloc of the House of Representatives, expressed opposition to House Bill 6908 or the proposed Security of Tenure Bill.

The proposed bill “simply eradicated any hopes for workers to get regularized,” according to Anakpawis Representative Ariel Casilao.

The solon cited Chapter 1, General Provisions Art 3 of the Labor Code, “The State shall afford protection to labor, promote full employment, ensure equal work opportunities.”

Section 1 of Republic Act 6909 started with the amendment of Art. 106 of Presidential Decree 442 or the Labor Code of the Philippines which defines a contractor, according to Casi l ao.

From the start, he said that it accepted job contracting as a fact of life. “With this, it promotes job contracting.”

“While Makabayan during the series of hearings on the committee level and on the technical working group of the Committee on Labor and Employment chaired by Representative Randolph Ting fought it out to include the proposed bills filed by Makabayan, the committee report was unacceptable as it bear no resemblance of its proworker character,” the lawmaker also said.

He cited the deletion on section 295 of the Security of Tenure Bill of the words “necessary and d esi r abl e.”

Casilao added that the deletion spells doom to workers on achieving regular status as it will further circumvent the law.

“As Anakpawis representative in whom the worker’s sector is part of, we cannot stomach to part an accomplice on a proposed law that will further strengthen and institutionalize job contracting. That is why this representation pulled out as a co-author of House Bill 6908 as it did not reflect Anakpawis HB Bill 556 or the AntiContractualization Bill. We firmly stand for the prohibition of all forms of contractual work scheme,” Casilao said.