Labor groups to give DOLE ample time on forming new rules to curb ‘endo’

MANILA—A group of labor organizations is giving the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ample time to come up with new rules to stop contractualization also known as ‘endo’ (end of contract).

Nagkaisa labor coalition spokesperson Rene Magtubo said they will wait for Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III to respond to the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to “stop contractualization and no agency hiring.”

With this, he noted that they were contented over the result of their dialogue with the Chief Executive last Monday.

“We were satisfied, naqualify kasi ni Presidente na ayaw niya sa agency (hiring of workers),” Magtubo said at the launching of the 30-day countdown for DOLE to release new rules prohibiting contractualization.

“As the alter ego of the President, Sec. Bello is hard pressed to comply with the order and to abide with the demand of workers without further delay,” he added.

On the other hand, the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC) set to meet Thursday afternoon to discuss the new draft order, as ordered by Duterte.

The TIPC, composed of workers, employers and government representatives, serves as the clearinghouse of all labor polices, with the power to endorse proposed issuances to the DOLE Chief.

Likewise, the coalition is hoping that House Bill 4444 authored by Rep, Raymond Mendoza of the TUCP Partylist, which seeks total prohibition and criminalization of contractualization offenses, will gain ground in Congress once certified as urgent by the President.