Pimentel urges colleagues to pass law ending ‘endo’

Pimentel made this call noting that it was “the best way to commemorate Labor Day” and that the government should continue to work to protect the welfare of Filipino Worker. (Photo: Philippine News Agency)

MANILA–Senate Pres. Aquilino Pimentel III on Monday urged his colleagues in the Senate anew to pass a law strengthening the prohibition against labor-only contract otherwise known as end of contract scheme (endo).

Pimentel made this call noting that it was “the best way to commemorate Labor Day” and that the government should continue to work to protect the welfare of Filipino Worker.

His proposed measure, Senate Bill No. 117 or An Act Strengthening the Prohibition Against Labor-Only Contracting, would amend Article 280-A of Presidential Decree 442, so employees who have been rehired repeatedly “by the same group of companies, the parent and subsidiary companies, or by companies with interlocking directors” shall be considered regular employees from the date when they were first hired, regardless of whether such service is continuous or broken.

“Despite the rights of workers under constitutional and labor laws, there are employers who wantonly circumvent labor laws through a system that is designed to prevent workers from attaining regular employment and security of tenure,” Pimentel said.

He pointed out that the gaps in the law allow the termination of employment every five months and thereafter rehire the same workers for the same duration.

Moreover, employers also avoid the regularization of its employees by engaging the services of workers either from manpower cooperatives or placement agencies.

“These prevalent practices of labor contractualization have made it difficult for workers to attain the security of tenure guaranteed by the Constitution,” he added.

Pimentel, meanwhile expressed hope that measures to end “endo” would be passed under the administration of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, whose campaign promises included ending labor-only contracting.

In addition to addressing loopholes in the Labor Code, Pimentel said that efforts should also be made to increase penalties for violations of labor standards, particularly wage laws.

He also said that the Social Security System (SSS) should go “all out” in filing cases against employers who fail to remit the SSS contributions of their employees.