Laguna firms cry foul over endo tag

Over 40 Laguna-based companies have cried foul after being accused by the government of practicing the outlawed end-of-contract or “endo” scheme, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) said.

ECOP president Donald Dee said the firms engaged in various sectors such as electronics and garments, have reached out to the group after claiming to have been falsely accused of implementing the illegal practice and were given compliance orders.

“They are saying that they don’t practice endo. We are now looking into each one of them. In fact, I have to organize ECOP for that purpose,” Dee said.

“So we will review them. If there is really no violation, we will really fight for them. If we have to sue, we will sue the government,” he added.

Dee lamented the work being undertaken by various regional directors of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in implementing President Duterte’s executive order on endo.

“Every regional director, they have their own interpretation on how they should do their work. Some of them, once you have service contractors, they consider it endo already. But that is allowed under the law,” Dee said.

“It is already very clear. Contract working is available in the law. Contractualization, as defined by labor, is a different story. That was outlawed. They keep on making it confusing,“he added.

Dee said he intends to invite Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and the regional directors for a dialogue to discuss the real definition of endo and how the law against it will be properly implemented.

President Duterte on May 1 signed an Executive Order prohibiting illegal con tracting in workplaces, commonly known as endo.