Duterte to meet with labor groups this month to sign EO: Bello

FILE: President Rodrigo Duterte (PCOO Photo)

MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Saturday that President Rodrigo Duterte is going to meet with labor groups this month for the possible signing of the Executive Order (EO) on contractualization.

“Anytime this month (March) the President is going to meet them and hopefully he will sign that EO which we prepared in consultation with labor and management,” said DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III in an interview.

With this, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III noted that he asked for a meeting with labor organizations before the Holy Week.

“I request for a meeting before holy week with labor groups, about 30 of them,” he added.

Bello reiterated that the commitment of the president is no more endo and no more illegal contractualization, noting that prohibiting all forms is not possible, particularly citing the case of seasonal workers.

“Hindi mo talaga iprohibit all forms. Like for example. Lets go to agriculture. In agriculture you hire planters to plant. Then pagdating harvest you hire the harvesters. Hindi pwede na after harvesting, you retain them. Walang trabaho eh. Those are the so called seasonal workers,” he said.

At the same time, Bello said that many private companies have already expressed commitment in ending contractualization.

“Endo is an illegal arrangement that is even among employers they admit na that is illegal and they are stopping that. In fact in my meeting with Secretary (Ramon) Lopez and ‘yung mga Employers Confederation of the Philippine officials they even said that they will police their own rank.

Kung merong member nila na nagpapractice pa ng endo, they will kick them out of the association,” he added.

The department is targeting to regularize at 300,000 contractual workers this year.