KMU hits Duterte over ‘endo’
Left-wing labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno is criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte intention to seek a 'compromise' between businesses and the labor sector on the matter of ending 'endo' which is a key campaign promise of the President.
KMU-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Wildon Barros said all 'compromise' plans should be rejected. He said Duterte's failure to address the contractualization only means that the President is favoring oligarchs and big business owners.
“Endo” or end-of-contract is what trade unions refer to as a contractualization scheme that offers short-term and unprotected temporary work arrangements.
‘Endo’ workers are those who have a five-month contract, thus the company they work with are not required by law to hire them as regular workers.
Duterte is set to issue an executive order to broaden prohibitions against contractualization anytime soon, but labor groups are wary that the order would not abolish contractualization absolutely, with Duterte hinting at a compromise.
Last year, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III signed Department Order (DO) 174 but Barros said it did not end the abusive employment scheme but still allowed certain forms of contractual employment.
Different labor groups across the country submitted their recommendations for the new order, particularly prohibiting subcontracting, so that workers should be employed directly by their principal employers, and not through an agency.
Barros said aside from addressing endo, the group also continues its call to increase the workers' wage, and end the job order practice in the government agencies.
"Ang kasamtangan minimum nga suholan karon dinhi sa region X nga P338 ubos kaayo aron kab-oton ang panginahanglan sa matag pamilya. Kini nga suholan sapribadong sektor ug ang P6,000 matag bulan sa salary grade 1 sa empleyado sa gobyerno wala kini makatunga sa giingong Family Living Wage nga anaa sa P1,119 matag adlaw (The P338 prevailing minimum wage in region 10 is so low, and not enough to provide for the family needs)," Barros said.