SOME 856 contract of service workers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD)-Northern Mindanao may end up jobless next year due to a joint circular which stops the DSWD from direct hiring of contract of service workers.
Employees on Tuesday, August 7, demonstrated a lightning rally at the DSWD regional office to protest the implementation of a joint circular signed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Civil Service Commission (CSC), known as the Rules and Regulations Governing Contract of Service and Job Order Workers in the government.
Workers belonging to the Social Welfare Employees Association of the Philippines (SWEAP) said under the joint circular, the DSWD can hire contract of service through manpower agencies.
Morena Fernandez, SWEAP-Northern Mindanao president, said they are protesting some provisions of the circular because majority of the contract of service and job order workers have been working with DSWD for several years already.
"We, the SWEAP Field Office 10 chapter is against the implementation of the Joint Circular No.1, series of 2017, which is not humane and violates our right to participate in the nation building, adequate standard of living, right to work in a just and favorable condition,"Fernandez said.
"As workers of DSWD, we have shown our competence to deliver the tasks expected of us; and we believe that through DSWD, we can provide the basic needs of our children and build a strong family and community,"the group added.
Fernandez already sent a letter to the CSC to express opposition on the implementation of the said joint circular which will endanger the work of 856 cost of service workers of DSWD.
In her letter, she said, DSWD shall give utmost attention to the welfare of its workers, as a welfare agency.
During the brief protest, the workers also shouted "ENDO wagtangon; Kontraktwalisasyon hunongon; singgit sa mamumuo, regularisasyon".
DSWD-Northern Mindanao has 134 regular workers; 778 contractuals and 856 contract of service workers.