President Duterte tells big businesses to stop contractualization

(Photo: Marcelino Pascua/PCOO)

MANILA—President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday warned large businesses to refrain from the practice of contractualization just to cut cost or they will face closure.

PRRD said they will lose their permits to operate if caught abusing labor laws. He said the labor department will be sending people in the field to check if companies are following regulations even if the government does not have much resources to do such review.

“Alam mo wala akong pera, wala akong tao to really inspect all of the, you know, doing away with contractualization. (You know I don’t have money, I don’t have people to really inspect all of the, you know, doing away with contractualization). My message to them is very simple: Do not wait for us to inspect,” the President said.

“I would like to assume that everybody who falls under that category will honor what we are asking for the people. Huwag na ninyo akong hintayin na mahuli ko kayo because I will be unforgiving. (Don’t wait for me to catch you because I will be unforgiving). You will not only lose your money, you will lose your plants, ” he said.

PRRD reiterated his zero tolerance for big businesses abusing labor laws, noting it was his promise to the people. “Hintuan na ninyo ‘yan, bayaran ninyo ang tao sa tamang suweldo (Put an end to it, pay people the right wages); stop contractualization. It will not do good to our country,” he added.

The practice is unfair to the people as well as to the government, he said. For instance, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) trains people to become plumbers, electricians and carpenters only to find jobs good only for six months.

Companies adopting contractualization does not help the people with the security of tenure, the President noted. He also particularly mentioned that security agencies, mostly owned by military or policemen, tend to abuse security guards by requiring them to work more than eight hours, which is illegal. The president warned security agencies to follow the law or else he will cancel their permits.

“Kung ako ba naman kung ikakaligaya ng lahat iyan and it would improve, enhance our economy, wala kayong problema sa akin. But the human being, lalo nasecurity guard, pay all the benefits (If it will make everyone happy and it would improve, enhance our economy, you don’t have a problem with me. But the human beings, especially the security guards, pay all the benefits),” he told security agencies.

And for the companies outsourcing workers, the President said they must assume as the employers and pay all the workers’ benefits required under the law. “If you are nag-outsource, whatever, airlines, assume therefore as the real employer. So bayaran ninyo lahat. SSS at saka wala iyang paikot-ikot. Huwag ninyong paikutin kasi ang totoo niyan ayaw talaga ninyong magbayad (So pay it all. SSS and don’t beat around the bush. Don’t beat around the bush because the truth is you don’t want to pay).”

If big companies do not take care of the workers, then his government cannot take care of them, the President said, referring to these firms.