Workers Dismayed with Duterte’s 100 – Days, Vowed to Intensify its Drive Against Contractualization

Two days before President Duterte’s first 100 – days ended, militant groups under the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) along with its allied organization held a press conference to raise its dismay on the current Duterte administration’s effort to end labor contractualization.

In their statement, BMP Chairperson Leody de Guzman, aired its dissatisfaction as not a single corporate entity or employment agency was closed or reprimanded despite glaring practice of labor contractualization in all industry. “Tulad nang pinangangambahan, wala ni isang kapitalista ang sumunod sa utos at pagbabanta ni Digong na itigil ang kontraktwalisasyon. Wala ni isang kapitalista o ahensya nito ang naparusahan sa loob ng 100 – araw ni Duterte” Leody de Guzman, president of BMP chided.

WIN–WIN Solution a NO-NO

The said press conference likewise, stated its opposition and rejection on the proposed win – win solution pushed and supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Under the proposal, workers by employment agencies should be considered regular employees despite being farmed out and working at its client or principal premises.

According to DTI, under this scheme, workers are assured of their security of tenure and entitlements as regular worker despite its uncertain work being contractual workers.

BMP vehemently denounce such proposal as a clear non-sense and a deception to workers’ clamor to end contractualization. BMP spokeperson and president of the SUPER federation, Atty. Luke Espiritu depict the scheme as an attempt to legitimize contractual labor by creating an army of regular contractual workers rather than genuinely eradicating contractual labor relation.

“Sa win – win solution, ang panalo ay ang gobyerno at mga kapitalista lamang dahil sa panukalang ito, popogi ang administrasyon sa pagpapakita na kunwari ay seryoso sila na alisin ang kontraktwalisasyon habang nilelehitima nito ang kontraktwal na kaasyusan na walang ibang makikinabang kundi mga kapitalista. Hindi panalo kundi panloloko ang tanging mahihita dito ng mga manggagawa,” Atty. Espiritu added.

At the same press conference, Atty. Aaron Pedrosa, secretary general of SANLAKAS describes the current legislative proposals on contractualization on both Houses of Congress as moves not to prohibit and criminalize contractualization but rather legitimizing and institutionalizing the exploitative nature of contractual employment.

According to Atty. Pedrosa, “Labas sa titulo ng mga panukalang batas sa Kongreso at Senado, ang laman ng mga panukala ay hindi tuwirang pagbabawal at pagpaparusa sa mga gumagamit ng mapagsamantalang kontraktwal na paggawa, bagkus ay nasa direksyon na gawin lehitimo ang kontraktwal na paggawa sa pagkilala at pagtanggal dito bilang anyo ng “bagong” relasyon” sa paggawa habang inistitusyunalisa ang mga parametro ng kontraktwal na kaayusan.

INTENSIFY CALLS for END of CONTRA, DECLARED NATIONAL DAY of CLAMOR

Despite its dismay and rejection of the win-win proposal and legislative proposals on contractualization, the group vowed to intensify its engagement and campaign to push for eradication of contractual labor.

BMP declared to launch a nationally coordinated action against contractualization on Friday, October 7 to dramatize its resolve to end contractualization and call on the Duterte government to be decisive on its promise to workers.

Solidarity of Workers Against Contractualization (SWAC) leader, Franco Villanueva shared the groups plan to launch simultaneous action in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and announce a march of workers and urban poor towards Mendiola to depict their call and demands against contractualization.

“Maglulunsad kami ng sabayang pagkilos sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao para iparamdam kay Digong na kailangan nitong kagyat na aksyunan ang pagwawakas sa kontraktwalisasyon. Ipagpapatuloy namin ang SHAME CAMPAIGN laban sa mga talamak na gumagamit ng kontraktwal na paggawa sa mga susunod na araw”. Villanueva said.