Workers hit Duterte over failure to end contractualization

THREE labor groups lambasted President Rodrigo Duterte over his failure to end the contractualization work scheme as he promised during the campaign for the 2016 elections.

In a joint statement, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro), and Partido Manggagawa (PM) assailed Duterte after Malacañang said on Thursday, July 8, 2021, that the bill seeking to end end-of-contract (endo) schemes is not among the legislative priorities during the final year of this administration.

"The 'end endo' campaign of the Duterte administration is a 'ningas cogon' propaganda and has no more ember to sustain its energy to bite. We are back to the old days of labor-only contacting, 555, and all forms of precarious work," said FFW president Sonny Matula.

"This, once again, proves what we have been saying all along: Duterte intended to hoodwink workers into thinking that he is on their side. That is why Duterte and his ilk have to go. Goodbye, Duterte!” said Sentro secretary general Josua Mata.

"We find the announcement as the Palace’s official way of ending a script. In the first place, Duterte’s end endo pledge in 2016 is a farce that’s ridiculously hard to keep for a pro-capitalist politician," said PM chair Renato Magtubo.

On Thursday, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Undersecretary Jacinto Paras said the bill is no longer among Duterte’s priority measures for now.

This is partly due to the lack of push from the labor sector since Duterte vetoed the security of tenure bill back in 2019.

To recall, Duterte declared during the 2016 campaign season that contractualization will stop as soon as he wins the presidency. (HDT / SunStar Philippines)

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