A WEEK prior to the expiration of their one-month extended tenure, co-terminus workers of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are calling for the regularization of their employment status under the new government.
In a statement Thursday, the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) called on President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III not to allow their tenure in government to simply expire.
"If President Aquino will not act on their case, these employees plus their families would just add-up to the double-digit unemployment and the already four million Filipinos in hunger," said Ferdinand Gaite, president of Courage.
To recall, Memorandum Circular No. 1 issued last June 30 by Malacanang stated that the terms of all contractual employees, whose contracts expired at the end of Arroyo’s term, are being extended to July 31 unless they are terminated or renewed.
Gaite said that with the fate of contractual workers in government being the number one act of the Aquino administration, it is only fitting that he should manifest his campaign promise on the same matter.
“It is ironic that the government who is supposed to implement our laws on labor and employment is the sole, biggest employer of contractual and hence, the number one violator of their rights,” he noted.
“President Aquino who campaigned on the platform of change should reverse this aberration,” he further said.
The Courage statement also noted that the 2008 Inventory of Government Personnel made by the Civil Service Commission placed casual employees to 97,324 while contractual, elective and coterminous employees total to 20,882, 20,747 and 19,340, respectively.
Bulk of these employees, the labor group added, are in the Local Government Units (LGUs), the National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs). (AMN/Sunnex)