ECOP seeks clarification on ‘endo’

The Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines ( ECOP) is seeking the help of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in clarifying among its members the provisions of Department Order 174 signed by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III last Thursday. In a statement yesterday, ECOP said it is gearing up to comply with DOLE’s new order, which allows legal contractualization while restricting the so-called “endo”

or end-of-contract practices.

The group, however, said employers need to fully understand the provisions of the order to ensure full compliance.

To guarantee that company interpretations of the DO 174 coincide with that of the DOLE, ECOP said it has invited DOLE to brief employers about the provisions that will strengthen the rights of workers on security of tenure, ways on how to prevent labor-only contracting and restrict job contracting and clarification on whether the new policy will allow some measures of flexibility to deal with the realities and imperatives of businesses.

“Full compliance avoids the high costs of penalties, prevents loss of time due to legal and administrative conflicts and enhances corporate reputation as responsible corporate citizens,” the group said.

ECOP acting president Sergio Ortiz-Luis, however, has warned that the order could lead to displacement of workers and might even violate existing labor laws.

The group said a meeting between employers and DOLE is scheduled on Friday with the government agency sending director Benjo Santos Benavides.