DO30 in Breach of DU30’s Campaign Promise, Workers’ Reiterate Call to End all Forms of Contractualization

President Duterte made these pledge before the Filipino people when he was campaigning for the Presidency:

"The moment I assume the Presidency, contractualization will stop. They have to stop it."

"What I will do is call the Speaker and the Senate President after their elections and everybody, may constitution na doon, internal, then I will call on mostly the majority, mga Liberal congressmen, you pass this bill immediately. Senate, sabihin ko, I need it first week of my administration."

And he stood firm and stubborn in pushing for this platform upon assumption to office, up to the point of threatening big companies to close their plants if they don't comply.

"You will not just lose money, you will also lose pants. No tolerance ako dito, ito ang pangako ko sa tao. Stop contractualization. It will not do good to our country. Huwag na ninyong hintayin na mahuli kayo ni Sec. Bello. Kapag nalaman ko, I will simply close your plant and I can find a thousand reason to do it.

He even threatened to shot businessmen who practice endo or contractualization.

"I am warning you, you choose: stop contractualization or I will kill you. You know why… I am the President. I am here. I have immunity."

Many people may have been accustomed to President Duterte's use of hyperbole in driving a point. But for workers, the epidemic of contractualization has really gone out of proportion – a plague that warrants absolute containment in order to save the present and future generation of workers, the women and the youth.

Zero tolerance, therefore, is the correct and strategic policy change to pursue.

Now, is the impending issuance of Department Order No. 30 (DO30) in line with the early pronouncements of the President and in accordance with workers' unanimous demand to end all forms of contractualization? NO!

DO30 falls short of what has been promised by DU30. It will only perpetuate contractualization. No wonder that the employers and the manning agencies are celebrating it!

Workers do not deserve this odious holiday and year-ender present from the government.

In digest, the new DO simply simulated in new fashion the framework of recognizing trilateral employment relations. It perpetuates the failed logic of regulation which, during the last several decades, has allowed and legitimized the business of labor contractualization done in many ways and in different forms.

This has to stop. The perpetuation of trilateral employment relation, which DO30 continues to recognize in the form of job/service contracting of specialized, project and seasonal jobs, is more of a system upgrade rather than a change in the policy itself. Hence, we denounce it as UNACCEPTABLE.

Ayaw namin ng mga middleman, sa anyo ng mga agency at cooperative, na ginagawang negosyo ang pangangalakal ng aming lakas paggawa. Nais namin ay DIRECT HIRING at ipagbawal ang FIXED-TERM employment.

Thus, if the President was really true to his campaign promise and to the commitment he made to end contractualization upon his assumption to office, we call on him to set aside DO30 for reasons cited above, notwithstanding its failure to secure acceptance from labor groups as well as endorsement from the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC).

We request that the President hold a personal dialogue with labor leaders to exchange ideas on how to really end endo. And in the meantime, in the absence of a new DO or a new law, the President should likewise consider issuing an Executive Order that expressly prohibits all forms of contractualization, or certify as an urgent administration measure the enactment of HB 4444 (Mendoza, TUCP PL) that seeks to prohibit and criminalize contractualization.

Matatapos na ang taong 2016 sa susunod na dalawang araw. Ang kontraktwalisasyon kailan pa ba magwawakas?

Group slams Labor chief for 'misguiding' Duterte

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) accused Monday members of the Cabinet of misguiding President Rodrigo Duterte on how to properly address the issue of contractualization.

According to TUCP Vice President Luis Corral, they are wary that the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is misleading Duterte on how to make true to his campaign promise of eliminating all forms of contractualization.

"The real problem is the Dole as they are speaking for... they are putting words in the mouth of the President. Mukhang nililihis nila yung usapin," said Corral.

The labor leader said it is simply questionable why Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III "is not following the directive" of Duterte.

He added that “neoliberal” Cabinet members, namely Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernest Pernia, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez are taking advantage of Duterte’s lack of complete understanding of the contractualization issue to sway the latter’s position.

“May pakiwari kami na kulang ang pagkakaintindi ng Pangulo doon sa contractualization dahil hindi naman siya labor lawyer by profession. At nilalayo siya ng tatlong neoliberal doon sa tamang landas,” said Corral.

To recall, President Rodrigo Duterte had vowed to put an end to labor contractualization practices during his administration.

Amid accusations made by the TUCP, Bello called on the labor sector to agree to the “middle ground” proposal for contractualization, wherein only illegitimate contractualization schemes are prohibited.

“While the Department is keen on curbing illegitimate contractualization or ‘endo’ practices as directed by the President, we recognize that there are legitimate forms of contracting and thus may be allowed particularly in seasonal and project employment,” said the Labor chief in a statement.

“I urge labor groups to work hand-in-hand with the current Administration in identifying plans, policies and platform of engagement in the next medium term,” he furthered.

Earlier, Bello had already raised the “middle ground” proposal, wherein some types of contractual work schemes, such as project-based and seasonal work arrangements, will be allowed.

Essentially, the “middle ground” is a reiteration of the controversial Department Order 18-A (DO 18-A) of the DOLE. -  (HDT/Sunnex)

TUCP nominee takes oath as new House member

TUCP Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza

The nominee of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) party-list on Wednesday took his oath as the latest member of the House of Representatives.

During the day's plenary session, Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas informed the chamber of its receipt of a Commission on Elections certificate of proclamation issued October 3, 2016, declaring the TUCP as a winner in last May 9's party-list elections.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez then called up TUCP nominee Raymond Democrito Mendoza to take his oath of office.

Mendoza, who is from Barangay Poblacion in Liloan, Cebu, becomes the 295th name to be added to the roll of members of the House of Representatives. He was surrounded by fellow congressmen from Cebu province during the oath-taking. — Mark Merueñas/KBK, GMA News

High time for PH to end wage-regionalization and wage-setting at barest minimum rate

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TO REALIZE the national vision of every Filipino living a life of dignity and enjoying quality standard of living as a matter of right, the 1987 Constitution directed the State to provide labor full protection and ensure the right of workers and their families to a living wage.

Regrettably, from the time the Constitution was ratified up to the present, the issue on living wage has never been addressed; one administration after the other deviated instead toward “wage-regionalization.” This consequently created wide gaps in wage levels all over the country.

Meanwhile, the wage-setting practice drifted toward containing the wages to the barest minimum, seeking the lowest level of balance in every region where the market clearing price of labor was primarily determined on the basis of employer’s capacity to pay rather than on the worker’s right to a living wage. The same problem exists in the public sector despite the salary standardization program.

This has created the condition for chronic poverty in the country, which has further deepened inequality as millions of workers are consigned to sustaining their families on wages that can hardly meet even half of the daily cost of living.

We, at Nagkaisa—a coalition of 47 labor federations, workers organizations in the private and public sectors, and urban and peasant groups—therefore, welcome the current administration’s plan to nationalize minimum wage, as announced recently by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello. Indeed, there clearly is a need to rectify the deformed policy of regionalizing minimum wages.

However, a major government pronouncement remains a propaganda if left without form at the policy level. That, certainly, is what happened to the living wage principle that has lain lifeless in the Constitution for the last three decades. But with the new administration’s pledge to rectify the errors of previous administrations, Nagkaisa and the government can work together in achieving our common goal of stopping contractualization and realizing the living wage.

At this point, Nagkaisa gladly presumes that the Duterte administration remains committed to the principle of living wage and that its planned nationalization of minimum wage will ultimately lead to the realization of this goal. Workers, in the first place, deserve not a minimum wage but a fair share in the product of their labor.

Hence, encouraged by the announcement of Secretary Bello, Nagkaisa calls on Malacañang to issue an order directing all regional wage boards to set a uniform minimum wage based on the Metro Manila rate. At the same time, we call on President Duterte to certify as urgent a bill seeking the same and the repeal of the existing Wage Rationalization Act.

Nagkaisa also calls for a uniform application and implementation of the Salary Standardization Law among all local government units. Nagkaisa strongly believes in the principle of equal pay for equal work and work of equal value, not just for private sector workers but also for government employees who are in the same bind.

It is high time the Philippines ended wage-regionalization and -setting at the barest minimum. Nagkaisa believes this can be done, especially with government treating the labor movement as its main partner in this enormous reform endeavor.

—NAGKAISA (47 labor federations and workers organizations both in the private and public sectors) - By @inquirerdotnet

Labor unions press end to contractualization

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THE country’s biggest group of labor unions pressed for the total ban on contractualization scheme as it rejected the short-term hiring of workers for being illegal.

The Associated Labor Unions (ALU), through spokesperson Alan Tanjusay, on Sunday said short-term employment contracts, either through direct hiring by employers or through sub-contracting, violates Articles 106 to 109, Article 259, and Articles 294 to 296 of the Labor Code.

Leaders of ALU, along with Nagkaisa (Solidarity), an alliance of labor federations and workers’ organizations, and other labor groups are set to meet with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd this week for another round of consultative discussions on the implementation of the President’s directive to put a stop to contractualization.

Earlier, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez proposed to end the contractualization scheme through the regularization of employees by manpower and recruitment agencies instead of the principal employer.

But Tanjusay pointed out that Lopez’s proposal is not acceptable because there is nothing in the law that allows it.

“This is not what our President Duterte has said in his vow to workers. The President has said to end contractualization, period. What Mr. Lopez and the employers’ lobby group are proposing now is still a form of contractualization and we strongly oppose it,” Tanjusay said.

ALU and its allied groups also called for a ban on all fixed-term employment and the repeal of all department orders that allows contractual work schemes .

The group said all employees should be regularized after the six-month probationary period as mandated by law.

“Labor groups have been lenient with government and employers by allowing them to have more flexibility in the past several decades. During these periods, employers’ profits improved and the country’s wealth developed. But workers’ and their families, who helped built that profit and wealth, are getting poorer because contractualization deprived them of their right to proper wages, adequate social protection and safe and healthy workplace,” Tanjusay pointed out.

Earlier, the militant Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) and its allied organizations dubbed Henry Sy as the country’s “King of Contractual Labor.” - By William Depasupil, The Manila Times

DOLE: Employers sector's position on endo opposite Duterte's

AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Sunday expressed belief that the “win-win solution” being pushed by the employers’ sector would become a major obstacle in their bid to eliminate contractualization.

In an interview, DOLE Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod said the “win-win solution” is expected to be persistently rejected by the labor sector and pushed by employers, thereby delaying the full realization of their plan.

“This will definitely cause a delay because the ‘win-win solution’ is a position of employers that is totally against the stance of workers and that of President Duterte,” said Maglunsod in an interview.

And in a bid to at least ease the expected tension, the labor official said they are already set to meet with the employees’ sector next week, October 3.

“The labor sector shall have their turn in the dialogue with the Department on the campaign against contractualization next week,” said Maglunsod.

After the dialogue with workers, a tripartite conference is expected to be called by the DOLE, this time also involving employers once again.

For its part, the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) agreed with Maglunsod that they are rejecting the “win-win solution” pushed by the employers and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Under the said proposal, only contractual workers at the level of manpower agencies or recruitment agencies would be the ones set for regularization and will be receiving full benefits, including social security, health and retirement benefits.

“This proposal does not address the problem of contractualization brought on the workers and it does not provide security of tenure to workers as envisioned by the Philippine Labor Code. We don’t accept such proposition,” said ALU-TUCP Executive Vice President Gerard Seno.

And given their staunch opposition to the proposal, ALU-TUCP said they are even prepared to have a prolonged debate with their counterparts in the employers’ sector.

“Progressive labor groups are well-prepared to engage employers, businesses, and government to argumentation and debate on the issue. We anticipate a clash in positioning in the coming days and we are prepared to slug it out with them,” said ALU-TUCP Spokesman Alan Tanjusay. - SunStar(HDT/Sunnex)

Labor group rejects govt ‘endo’ proposal

THE country’s biggest labor group has rejected a government proposal that will allow regularization of contractual workers at the manpower service provider level rather than by concerned companies that need the workers.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) on Sunday said the proposal is a clear circumvention of the Labor Code.

Besides, the group added, there is no such provision in the law.

“There is nothing like that in the Labor Code. They want to make another form of contractualization that is not in the Labor Code,” ALU-TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay told The Manila Times.

What the the government is proposing is “another form of labor slavery,” Tanjusay said.

Gerardo Seno, executive vice president of the ALU-TUCP, said the proposal will not resolve the problem of contractualization as it does not provide security of tenure to workers as provided by the Labor Code.

Earlier, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd said President Rodrigo Duterte wants the illegal end-of-contract (“endo”) practice reduced by 50 percent by year-end and eliminated by 2017.

Contractualization, or “endo” or “555” is a work arrangement whereby workers are only hired for about five months or less than six months without security of tenure, monetary, non-monetary and social protection benefits from the Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth.

But last week, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion came up with a “win-win” arrangement wherein the workers will be hired by the manpower service providers and agencies as regulars, receiving full benefits including social security, health and retirement benefits.

Under the arrangement, companies would have the option to directly hire workers as regular employees or outsource them through manpower recruitment agencies to perform seasonal work.

Also under the Lopez-Concepcion plan, Seno said, workers are still vulnerable to exploitation and abuse because there is still no employee-employer relationship between the worker and the principal employer.

“Under the scheme, workers are denied fair wages and social protection benefits. At any moment, the contract between manpower recruitment agency contractor is rescinded, absconded or terminated by the principal employer, workers will definitely suffer,” he added.

Seno said the ALU-TUCP is proposing amendments to provisions of the Labor Code that will totally ban all forms of contractualization and prohibit all forms of fixed-term employment.

Under these amendments, all workers should become regular employees at the company level after a six-month probationary period.

Tanjusay said a strong debate between workers and employers interest groups is inevitable over the policy of the Labor department to regularize all contractual workers upon instruction of the President.

“Progressive labor groups such as ALU are well-prepared to engage employers, businesses and government in argumentation and debate on the issue. We anticipate a clash in positioning in the coming days and we are prepared to slug it out with them,” he added. - By The Manila Times

Big Labor Alliance: Time to End Regionalization and Setting of Wages to Barest Minimum

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It is the right of every Filipino to live a life of dignity as well as to quality standard of living. And for this national vision to be realized, the 1987 Constitution directed the State to provide labor full protection and ensure the right of workers and their families to a living wage.

Regrettably over the years since the Constitution was ratified, the workers' demand for a family living wage was never addressed as previous governments deviated towards regionalization and the containment of wages to the barest minimum. This deviation consequently created wide gaps in wage levels all over the country as wage fixing mechanism now seeks the lowest level of balance in every region where the market clearing price of labor is primarily determined on the basis of employer's capacity to pay rather than on the worker's right to a living wage. The same problem can be seen in different wage levels in the public sector despite the salary standardization program.

As a result, this minimum wage and regionalization policy created the condition of chronic poverty and deepening inequality in the country as millions of workers were consigned to an imposed reality of sustaining their families on wages that can hardly meet even half of the daily cost of living.

We, the NAGKAISA, therefore, take as delighting news the planned nationalization of the minimum wage announced recently by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello. It is because of our long-standing position that poverty knows no boundary while inequality is the despicable outcome of unfair distribution of national wealth. This deformed policy clearly needs to be rectified, now!

However, we always consider as mere government propaganda a major pronouncement that is left without form at the policy level. That, certainly, is what happened to the living wage principle that lay lifeless in the Constitution during the last three decades. But since the new administration has made a pledge to rectify the errors of the previous administrations, stopping the plague of contractualization and realizing the living wage were core issues that NAGKAISA and the government can work together in achieving a common goal.

At this particular juncture, the NAGKAISA labor coalition gladly presumes that the Duterte administration remains committed to the principle of living wage and that its planned nationalization of minimum wage will lead towards the ultimate realization of this social objective. Workers, in the first place, deserve not a minimum wage but a fair share in the product of their labor.

Hence, in line with the pronouncement of Secretary Bello, the NAGKAISA is looking forward soon to an Order, or something to that effect, going to be issued by Malacanang. We are looking forward to an instruction to all regional wage boards to issue a uniform wage order that is based on Metro Manila rate. And we are, at the same time, looking forward to a Palace-endorsed or certified bill in Congress seeking the same and eventually the repeal of the existing Wage Rationalization Act.

The NAGKAISA also strongly believe on the principle of equal pay for equal work and work of equal value not just on private sector workers but for those government employees who are in the same bind. In the same breath, the NAGKAISA call on the government for the uniform application and implementation of Salary Standardization Law to all local government units (LGUs).

It is high time to stop the spiral race to the bottom by ending the regionalization and setting of wages to the barest minimum now. The NAGKAISA believes this can be done especially when government will treat the labor movement as main partner to this enormous reform tasks.

Therefore, we urge the government to instruct all regional wage boards to issue a uniform wage order the rate of which is based on Metro Manila. We call on government to certify a bill in Congress seeking the same and, eventually, the repeal of the existing Wage Rationalization Act. The NAGKAISA, likewise, call on the government for the uniform application and implementation of Salary Standardization Law to all local government units (LGUs).

About NAGKAISA

Issue-based NAGKAISA labor coalition is composed of 47 labor federations, workers organizations in public and private sectors and various urban and peasants groups. The group came together in April 2012 to advocate for workers' living wage, promote security of tenure, to lower the cost and ensure reliable supply of power, and for public sector workers to be allowed to form unions and collectively bargain.

The members of the NAGKAISA are: Alliance of Free Workers (AFW) , All Filipino Workers Confederation (AFWC), Automobile Industry Workers Alliance (AIWA), Alab Katipunan, Association of Genuine Labor Organizations (AGLO), Associated Labor Unions (ALU), Associated Labor Unions- Association of Professional Supervisory Officers Technical Employees Union (ALU-APSOTEU), ALU-Metal, Associated Labor Unions-Philippine Seafarers'Union (ALU-PSU), ALU-Textile, ALU-Transport, Associated Labor Unions-Visayas Mindanao Confederation of Trade Unions (ALU-VIMCOMTU), Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Association of Trade Unions (ATU), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Confederation of Independent Unions (CIU), Confederation of Labor and Allied Social Services (CLASS), Construction Workers Solidarity (CWS), Federation of Coca-Cola Unions (FCCU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Kapisanan ng Maralitang Obrero (KAMAO), Katipunan, Pambansang Kilusan sa Paggawa (KILUSAN), Kapisanan ng mga Kawani sa Koreo sa Pilipinas (KKKP), Labor education and Research Network (LEARN), League of Independent Bank Organizations (LIBO), MARINO, National Association of Broadcast Unions (NABU), National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU), National Mines and Allied Workers Union (NAMAWU), National Association of Trade Unions (NATU), National Confederation of Labor (NCL), National Confederation of Transport Union (NCTU), National Union of Portworkers in the Philippines (NUPP), National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN), Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), Pepsi Cola Employees Union of the Philippines (PEUP), Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA), Pinag-isang Tinig at Lakas ng Anakpawis (PIGLAS), Philippine Integrated Industries Labor Union (PILLU), Philippine Independent Public Sector Employees Association (PIPSEA), Partido Manggagawa (PM), Philippine Metalworkers Alliance (PMA), Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), Philippine Transport and General Workers Organization (PTGWO), Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Workers Solidarity Network (WSN).

Labor chief targets 50% reduction in 'endo' in six months

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III is targeting the reduction by half of the practice of "endo" among companies, in line with President Rodrigo Duterte's instructions to end the scheme.

"Siguro ang target ko is the first six months we will reduce the incidence of 'endo' and contractualization by 50 percent, that will be the challenge I will give to the officials in the department," Bello said after he signed a memorandum addressed to all regional labor officers of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the country.

The memorandum directs the officers to strictly implement the Labor Laws Compliance System.

Bello also instructed its Bureau of Working Conditions to prepare profiles of contractors and subcontractors based on results and or findings from Labor Laws Compliance Officers (LLCO).

The memorandum also obliged regional directors to submit a comprehensive report to the DOLE secretary related to violations of existing labor laws and complaints of "endo" submitted by affected workers.

DOLE regional offices are also required to submit profiles of contracting and sub-contracting arrangements from companies.

"All documents shall be submitted to the Office of the Secretary, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Social Protection, on or before July 15," he said.

Bello noted that the undersecretary for Social Protection shall have overall supervision over the activities he stated in the memorandum.

To fully iron out technical aspects and issues surrounding contractualization, a workshop is scheduled on July 18 to 19 with labor officials and other stakeholders.

"All industries will benefit (from this), from shopping mall employees to workers from private companies even media and broadcasting companies," Bello said.

Not enough

While praising the move, however, a labor group said this strategy is not enough to curb the practice.

"The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) lauded the DOLE secretary for issuing a memorandum ordering DOLE regional officers to strengthen assessment and inspection of all work establishments in the country through deployment of LLCOs in starting to eliminate contractualization work scheme," Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of ALU-TUCP, said in a text message to GMA News Online.

"However, this strategy is not sufficient if President Duterte is serious about eliminating the worst form of arrangement for good," he added.

He said the DOLE needs to hire more compliance officers to effectively combat the issue.

"The current number of LLCOs are powerless against the number of work establishments in the country. There are almost one million work establishments against only less than 600 LLCOs in all regions. More LLCOs should be hired if the drive against contractualization would be successful," Tanjusay said. —By JP SORIANO and JOHN TED CORDERO, GMA News

Except for Duterte, leading candidates for the presidential race signs contract to end contractualization

​Jejomar Binay,Grace Poe and Mar Roxas


Three days before the elections, three presidential candidates signed a contract with a coalition of labor federations and workers' organizations calling for the repeal of the notorious and rampant contractual work scheme in the country.

"We have the signatures of Mar Roxas, Grace Poe, and Jejomar Binay conforming to workers' clamor to repeal contractualization work scheme in the country. While only 3 of the 5 presidential candidates have formally signed our proposed 'anti-endo contract,' we are elated that ending contractualization work scheme is among the primary social issues that is being advocated by all the 'presidentiables,' which will influence the outcome of the May 9 national elections," the NAGKAISA labor coalition said in its statement.

By affixing their signatures, the 3 candidates have signified their commitment to fight contractualization. "Regardless of who among them wins, the minority president has a binding agreement with the majority – the Filipino working people. NAGKAISA will engage the new leadership to ensure that she/he will live up to their promise to end Endo," the group said.

Unfortunately, Rodrigo Duterte' did not sign the document. "This puts into question his sincerity in fighting contractualization," NAGKAISA said.

Also known as "endo" (end of contract) or "5-5-5" jobs, this contractual work arrangement is characterized by hiring employees for only five months without security of tenure, paid with unlawful wages and without social protection benefits and privileges compared to what regular workers receive.

Both Grace Poe and Jejomar Binay signed the agreement committing themselves to, "Certify as urgent and enact the Security of Tenure bills both for the private and the public sectors as championed in the outgoing 16th congress by Representatives Raymond Mendoza, Walden Bello and Leah Paquiz."

Mar Roxas agreed to, "Certify as urgent and enact the Security of Tenure Bill to protect workers' rights from unfair contractualization," but added that he would "study and develop flexible and lawful work arrangements to adapt to the needs of employees and employers, thereby securing humane working conditions and encouraging the creation of jobs."

The Security of Tenure Bill referred to has been languishing in Congress for more than a decade now.

NAGKAISA considers contractualization as a modern day work slavery whereby workers toil to enrich their employers but are paid with measly wages, without Social Security System (SSS), Philhealth and Pag-IBIG protection benefits, cramp in risky workplaces and without security of tenure.

Aside from ending contractualization, other issues presidential candidates have agreed with NAGKAISA are providing for living wage, ensuring quality public services, reforming workplace labor inspection, ensuring the working poor's right to the city, realizing full employment before the end of six years, among others.

The NAGKAISA is a coalition of 49 labor centers, federations, and workers' organizations including big labor groups such as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), National Confederation of Labor (MCL), National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU), Partido Manggagawa (PM) and Associated Labor Unions (ALU).

TUCP deplores the absence of decency, justice, equity and fairness

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TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES
LABOR DAY STATEMENT
MAY 1, 2016

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) today deplores the absence of decency, justice, equity and fairness in our society. Despite the continuing growth of the economy, the wages and salaries of Filipino workers remain low and inadequate. Tens of millions of workers and employees belong to the "working poor" who are without any savings, are deeply indebted, deprived of so many good things in life, and are extremely vulnerable to economic shocks and uncertainties. Working jobs that are "precarious" in nature, these are the workers who have built the wealth of the last few years. The present administration refused to support the passage of the tax reform legislation which could have provided an additional, albeit modest amount, to the take-home pay of workers. It also betrayed the workers when the President vetoed the bill increasing the monthly pension of SSS pensioners by P2,000.

Moreover, living with already low income, our workers have to further squeeze-out their meager budget to pay for their monthly electricity the price of which remains the highest in Asia. In addition, instead of giving more subsidy to mass transportation system which our workers use every day to go to work, the government decided to withdraw all the subsidies to the MRT and LRT which resulted in the increase of fare. Add to that the dangers to life and limb who use our MRT/LRT. We don't have universal and free health care system in the country. If a worker gets seriously sick, he must be prepared to just die. The practice of labor contractualization or hiring workers on time-bound contract had also widened. Tens of millions of work are under contractual arrangements, known as "endo contracts", do not receive minimum wages, have no benefits and work in poor working conditions. The very nature of their insecure work arrangements means that they cannot join unions. Most of them are not also covered by social protection.

The situation of Filipino workers remains intolerable. We want the next administration to improve the lives of workers and their families by putting back money into their hands and by providing them economic relief. We need substantial wage increases. We want the next Congress to pass the tax reform bill to reduce the taxes on workers' income so that they will have more money in their pocket. We demand the next administration to increase the monthly pension of SSS pensioners by P2,000 to help our elderly pensioners have more money to buy food and medicine. We want lower electricity rates in the country. The next Congress must amend the EPIRA and strengthen the regulatory capacity of the ERC.

Furthermore, we want the next government to put back the subsidy for MRT and LRT to decrease the existing fares and to improve the services of the said mass transportation systems. We also wish it to create a National Health Care System that will provide free and universal health care for all with a strong focus on public health and preventive care.

Most importantly, we want the new government to support the passage of the Security of Tenure bill to provide our workers security of employment which will give them all the advantages of being regular workers. Without regularization, workers have no SSS coverage, no Philhealth, no Pag-Ibig and no hope for a better life.

We in TUCP will mobilize all our resources to achieve our vision for all workers and our families. We will continue to struggle to build a more decent, inclusive, progressive, free and humane society.

We urge our social partners both in business and government to join us in reaching a new social contract under the new government.

TUCP: Living wage is P12,517/month

​Php154 wage hike petition to wage board

THE TRADE Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) on Sunday justified its demand for a P154 increase in daily minimum wage in Metro Manila, saying the current wage of P481 was not enough to lift workers out of poverty.

TUCP Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said that considering inflation and its impact on the purchasing power, the real value of the daily minimum wage was actually only P315.56, way below  the government's P417-a-day estimated poverty threshold for a family to cope with the cost of living.

Tanjusay said that on a monthly basis, the real wage value was P9,467 a month, way below the P12,517 monthly income needed to meet the basic food needs of a family of five based on the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).

The requirements include nonfood needs such as clothing, housing, transportation, health and education to ensure that one remains economically and socially productive.

He cited Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimates in March that the number of workers whose wage value fell below the poverty threshold reached 7.879 million.

The TUCP said it would also file minimum wage increase petitions for workers in Region 4A as well as the provinces of Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro.

Red alert warning

"We are raising a red alert warning to employers and the government to immediately address the disparity between the minimum standard required for a family to survive and the current real value of the highest minimum wage," said Tanjusay.

"The wage boards must convene immediately to bring quality relief to workers unable to cope with the rising cost of living due to their inadequate salaries," he added.

He said a minimum wage lower than the poverty threshold affected production due to insufficient nutrition and stress.

"If this low quality of life is not acted upon, there will be more perpetrators and victims of all sorts of crime, more Filipinos would opt to work abroad, and it would breed a host of social problems," said Tanjusay.

The TUCP filed its petition to bring the daily minimum wage up to P635  with the Metro Manila wage board on Thursday.

He said a P154 wage increase would merely restore the P481 to its real value.

Last year, the TUCP filed a P136 wage increase petition for minimum wage earners in Metro Manila but the DOLE-NCR approved only  P15.

The one-year prescriptive period of the last wage increase expired on April 4, thus the need to seek a new wage increase to make the salary of Metro Manila workers more realistic, he said. - - By: Estrella Torres @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer

P154 Wage hike sought for Metro Manila

THE COUNTRY'S biggest labor group plans to formally seek today a P154 increase in daily minimum wage for private sector workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), or Metro Manila, arguing in a statement yesterday that current levels have been left far behind by rising cost of living.

"With (the) current wage level falling 24% behind rising cost of living," the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)-Nagkaisa faction said it would file the petition at 10 a.m. at the office of the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board-NCR in Malate, Manila.

The most recent wage order in the capital which took effect in April last year -- the law provides that the minimum wage can be raised only after a year from the last adjustment -- provided a P15 increase that took the daily minimum wage to P481 for non-agriculture workers and to P444 for those in farms, private hospitals with up to 100 beds, retail/service businesses with up to 15 workers and manufacturing establishments with less than 10 workers. TUCP-Nagkaisa had asked for a P136 raise in January last year.

Metro Manila's wage hike usually triggers similar action in the country's other regions.

"[The] current minimum wage in the NCR is P481. But because of rising cost of services and increasing prices of basic goods, its purchasing power is P364 only," TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesman Alan A. Tanjusay said in a text message yesterday.

Vicente R. Leogardo, Jr., director-general of the Employer's Confederation of the Philippines and one of two management representatives in the Metro Manila's wage board, said in a separate text that "[t]he board within 15 days from filing of petition shall conduct [a] public hearing..."

"Any party may file opposition on or before the initial hearing. Within 30 days after conclusion of [the] last hearing, the boards shall decide on the merits of the petition," he added, declining to comment on the petition itself that will be filed today.

But the Finance department's chief economist pointed out a possible flaw in TUCP-Nagkaisa's computation of the proposed wage hike.

"That is their contention," Finance Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran said in a telephone interview, when sought for comment.

"But they will have to argue based on statistics. Ang inflation rate ba nasa 24%? I don't think so."

The Finance official noted that consumer prices in Metro Manila generally increased by 1% last year. This was more than three times slower than the 3.2% recorded in 2014.

A family of five needed about P348 daily to meet basic food and non-food needs in the region, according to the Family Income and Expenditure Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority for the first semester of 2015.

"I don't think it (24%) is the appropriate inflation rate to use in computing the adjustment in wages. That's the inflation rate during the Marcos period," Mr. Beltran said, dismissing the possibility of this happening given the benign inflation outlook for the Philippines.  - By Alden M. Monzon, Reporter and Keith Richard D. Mariano /  BusinessWorld

TUCP: Underground economy workers living below poverty line reaches 27.1 million

​Informal food vendors pitch their improvised stalls and receive inadequate assistance from the government. Photographed by Tricia Aquino, InterAksyon.com.


MANILA - The number of Filipino workers in the informal economy and who cannot afford the cost of living standard of P19.50 per meal a day have reached 27.1 million since January this year, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) disclosed Monday, citing statistics from the Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released in March this year 

According to that PSA survey, there are 27.1 million workers working in the informal sector economy out of the 67.153 million total work force beginning this year.

Informal sector workers include jeepney and tricycle drivers, wet and dry goods vendors, bus and truck drivers and conductors, truck assistants, salesladies, barbers, beauticians and port workers.

In October 2015, there were 26.853 million workers in the informal economy, PSA data further showed.

Some 40 million of the 67.153 million work force are employed, while 2.466 million are unemployed and 7.879 million are described as underemployed.

TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the informal economy or so-called "underground economy" sector are comprised in great part by individuals who operate businesses that are very small in scale and not registered with any national of formal government agency.

Workers in the informal economy typically sell their goods or services in exchange for subsistence wages or other forms of compensation.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimated that a family of five needs P8,778 a month which is equivalent to P292.60 a day or P19.50 per person for three meals a day in 2012.

The two agencies also indicated that workers in the informal sector economy earn an average income of just P5,750 a month or P221.15 a day.

Based on this correspondence of data, Tanjusay said, workers need to earn a minimum of P3,028 a month more, or P100.93 more a day, in order to survive.

He observed that informal sector workers are the working people most vulnerable to risks, and often engage in variety of schemes just to cope.

"Despite their significant contribution to the growing economy, government intervention for them to survive, or to cope, is very small. They have no choice, but try to cope on their own and meet both ends day by day, not by weeks or by months.

"Most of them borrow money from loan operators despite exorbitant 6 to 10 percent interest rates. Some bet in daily, small-time illegal gambling. Some are engaged in supplemental sideline work," Tanjusay said. - InterAksyon.com

Poor workers’ ranks swelling

The number of poor Filipino workers who are working in the informal economy and cannot afford the cost of living standard of P19.50 per meal a day has reached 27.1 million since January this year, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) said on Monday.

TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said the informal economy or "underground economy" sector  refers to poor individuals who operate business that are very small in scale and not registered with any national government agency.

"Workers in the informal economy sell their services in exchange for subsistence wages or other forms of compensation," he said.

The National Economic Development Authority  and the Philippine Statistics Authority said a family of five needs P8,778 a month which is equivalent to P292.60 a day or P19.50 per person for three meals a day in 2012.

The two agencies   said workers in the informal sector economy, for the same year, earn  an average income of P5,750 a month or P221.15 a day.  Both agencies are expected to release government poverty standard in July this year.

Using this equation, Tanjusay said poor workers need a minimum of P3,028 more a month or P100.93 more a day in order to survive. He said informal sector workers are working people most vulnerable to risks and engage in variety of schemes for them to cope.

"Despite of their significant contribution to the growing economy, government intervention for them to survive or to cope is very small. They have no choice but they rather on their own try to cope and meet both ends by the day not by weeks or by months. Most of them borrow money from loan operators despite exorbitant 6 to 10-percent interest rates. Some bet in daily, small-time illegal gambling. Some are engaged in sideline," Tanjusay said.

Informal sector workers includes jeepney and tricycle drivers, wet and dry vendors, bus and truck drivers and conductors, truck assistants, salesladies, barbers, beauticians and port workers.

According to PSA's Labor Force Survey released in March this year, there are 27.1 million workers  in the informal sector economy out of the 67.153 million total work force beginning this year.

Forty million of which are employed while 2.466 million are unemployed and 7.879 million are underemployed. In October 2015, there were 26.853 million workers in the informal economy, PSA data showed - Vito Barcelo / The Standard

1 M new grads may have no jobs – TUCP

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) over the weekend said fresh graduates would have difficulty finding immediate employment due to additional hiring requirements. Most employers are demanding additional qualifications that would require more training for job applicants.

Manila , Philippines – More than one million college students will likely end up jobless after their graduation a few weeks from now, the country’s largest labor group said.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) over the weekend said fresh graduates would have difficulty finding immediate employment due to additional hiring requirements.

Most employers are demanding additional qualifications that would require more training for job applicants.

“This additional layer in the procedure could mean additional training which entails further cost and perseverance for the applicant. While those who fall through the cracks will become unemployed or underemployed,” said TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay.

Tanjusay also noted that the worsening job-skills mismatch can also derail fresh graduates’ chance to find employment after graduation.

Citing data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Tanjusay said very few applicants were hired on the spot in government-initiated job fairs for the past two years.

“Out of the 4,239,392 domestic and international job vacancies offered in 3,686 year-round job fairs activities held in 2014 and 2015 nationwide, only 391,088 were hired on the spot out of the 1,286,073 applicants,” he said.

“This job-skills mismatch crisis in the country has been going on and it continues to grow. Competition is getting higher, so employers are putting additional qualifications into the job descriptions,” he added.

Tanjusay also warned that heightened competitiveness at the job market, with little or no adjustment on the part of the learning institutions, make job hunting in the country worse than ever.

Records from the Commission on Higher Education showed there were 656,284 college graduates in March 2015 while records from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority showed there were 1.6 million individuals certified as of October 2015.

The DOLE identified 275 key occupations and 102 hard-to-fill occupations as part of the ongoing efforts to address the country’s high unemployment rate, particularly among the youth. - By Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)

TUCP: 'Job-skill mismatch' faces 2016 graduates

Photo by Philippine Star

College graduates this year may find it difficult to land jobs because their skills may not match the employers' requirements, a labor group said Sunday.

"This job-skills mismatch crisis in the country has been on going and it continues to grow. Competition is getting higher so employers are putting additional qualifications into the job descriptions for them to compete. Heightened competitiveness at the job market without or little adjustment at the learning institutions is what makes this crisis thrive," Trade Union congress of the Philippines spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said in a statement.

The TUCP cited data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that shows only 391,088 out of the 1,286.073 applicants were hired on the spot in 3,686 job fairs held in 2014 and 2015.

Data from the Commission on Higher Education, meanwhile, showed that there were 656,284 college graduates in March 2015 and nearly 1.6 million individuals finished their training courses from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

"With employers adding more qualifications, graduates' credentials will be scrutinized longer," Tanjunsay said, "This additional layer in the procedure could mean additional training which entails further cost and perseverance for the applicant."

Tanjunsay said the increased standards being implemented by employers will eventually lead to graduates facing underemployment or worse, unemployment.

The DOLE has identified 102 occupations that are "hard-to-fill" or job vacancies which employers are having difficulty to fill because applicants do not meet the skills' requirements.

Hard-to-fill jobs include 2D digital animator, agricultural designer, bioinformatics analyst, cosmetic dentist and surgeon, cuisine chef, multi-lingual tour guide, and mechatronics engineer among others.

The department has also listed 275 jobs in-demand. These jobs, according to DOLE, have high turnover and replacement rate.

Such occupations include abaca pulp processor, bangus driver, bamboo materials craftsman, fish cage caretaker, mussel grower and reefman. —Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/ALG, GMA News

For Central Visayas workers: Labor groups to meet on wage hike amount

Last October 10, 2015, the wage board decided to integrate the P13 in the minimum wage, so that no private sector workers in Metro Cebu received a salary less than P353 per day. Philstar.com/File

CEBU, Philippines - Labor coalition Nagkaisa will have a consultation this week with various labor organizations as to how much increase they will be asking for workers in Central Visayas.

Dennis Derige, Nagkaisa convenor and Partido ng Manggagawa-Cebu spokesperson, said whether they would seek a wage increase or not is no longer an issue for them.

“The issue that will be tackled is how much is the amount,” he said.

Aside from PM, Nagkaisa includes SENTRO ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Kilusan-Makabayan, Alliance of Genuine Labor Organization, PS-Link, Alliance of Progressive Labor-Central Visayas, among others.

It can be recalled that the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board-7 did not grant any wage hike last year; instead, it gave a P13-per-day increase in the Cost of Living Allowance for minimum wage earners in the private sector but for Metro Cebu only.

Last October 10, 2015, the wage board decided to integrate the P13 in the minimum wage, so that no private sector workers in Metro Cebu received a salary less than P353 per day.
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Prior to that, the Living Wage Coalition and ALU-TUCP filed for a wage adjustment of P145 per day and P92 per day, respectively, for all workers in Central Visayas. Both petitions did not prosper.

“We will fight that by this time, there should be an increase in the worker’s wages,” Derige said. — By Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/RHM (The Freeman)

Labor to next President: Save 5.5M child workers

Two labor federations on Sunday challenged the next administration to create a task force to implement laws against child labor.

Allan Tanjusay, spokesman for the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and advocacy officer of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), said “the good and effective thing that the incoming administration should do in solving the problems on child labor is create a task force.”

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) show that the Philippines is an employer of 5.5 million child laborers.

The youngest child worker is about five years old and the oldest is 17.

Of the 5.5 million, there are about 3.21 million who are engaged in the worst forms of child labor such as sex trafficking and drug pushing, according to PSA and DOLE.

The statistics authority said the 3.21 million child workers employed in the worst forms of child labor are also considered as engaged in “hazardous work.”

The International Labor Organization (ILO) explained that child laborers are those who have been “jeopardize[d] the[ir] physical, mental or moral well-being… either because of [the] nature [of the work that they are engaged in] or because of the conditions in which [the work] is carried out.”

“More specifically, hazardous child labor is work in dangerous or unhealthy conditions that could result in a child being killed, or injured and/or made ill as a consequence of poor safety and health standards and working arrangements. Some injuries or ill health may result in permanent disability. Often health problems caused by working as a child [laborer] may not develop or show up until the child is an adult,” the ILO said.

It added that hazardous work is the largest category of the worst forms of child labor because it can happen even in those jobs that appear to be decent such as in agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing, service industries, hotels, bars, restaurants, fast-food establishments and domestic service.

The PSA said two-thirds of the 3.21 million are boys and one-third are girls.

To make the task force effective, Tanjusay said it “should be composed of government and non-governmental organizations [with] a primary focus on the current strategy of tapping the barangay [village] officials in conducting regular rounds on the identified areas where there are child laborers.”

“Also, the task force should make it sure that these children are enroled in school,” he added.

Julius Cainglet, vice president of the Federation of Free Workers, said labor groups, including FFW, have been working with the DOLE through the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC).

But, Cainglet admitted that the NCLC does not function as a regular agency but only acts as a coordinating body between DOLE and labor groups directed to implement the Philippine Program Against Child Labor.

The committee was formed in December 2011 through a memorandum of agreement among government departments, labor groups, and non-government organizations.

It has no funds of its own, Cainglet said.

According to Tanjusay, the NCLC has failed its purpose because it seldom meets on how it would consistently carry out anti-child labor programs of the government.

He disclosed to The Manila Times that the NCLC “is not working well. It rarely holds meeting.”

Tanjusay said the NCLC is “dormant” because no meeting has taken place in the last two years.

He accused the Aquino administration of intentionally neglecting the problem of child labor since 2010, pointing out that President Benigno Aquino 3rd never tackled the problem in his State-of-the-Nation Addresses. - by NELSON S. BADILLA, REPORTER / The Manila Times

Labor group loves office romances

Far from distracting workers from their jobs, office romances can boost productivity and creativity when guided by company policies, an alliance of trade unions said on Friday.

In a statement, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) urged the the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to take the lead in coming up with a sample template on policies and implementing guidelines on office romances to discourage favoritism, sexual harassment and abuse, and minimize miscommunication within the company.

TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said policies on workplace romances are uncommon in work contracts and collective bargaining agreements in the country because many view them as unimportant.

“We’re (asking) DOLE to come up with workplace romance policy guidelines not to ban (office) romance but to encourage it,” he told the Inquirer on Friday.

Tweaking provisions

“Many do not know that by tweaking the provisions of (such policy), they can boost productivity and creativity among employees,” Tanjusay said.

Such policies, he added, would support, guide and encourage consensual romantic relationships without crossing management prerogatives, nor infringing on the workers’ intrinsic tendency to fall in love with colleagues or superiors.

By issuing the policy guidelines, the Labor department can protect consenting couples against oppressive management actions, especially in establishments without labor unions, the TUCP official said, adding that the guidelines must also define parameters meant to govern the existence of workplace romance. TVJ By: Jocelyn R. Uy Philippine Daily Inquirer

TUCP founder Democrito Mendoza dies

LABOR LEADER. Lawyer Democrito Mendoza dedicated 70 years of his life to fighting for the rights of laborers in the Philippines. Image from Facebook

Mendoza is known as one of the founding pillars of the labor movement in the Philippines


MANILA, Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) co-founder Democrito Mendoza died on Tuesday evening, January 12.

The 92-year-old labor leader and lawyer from Cebu died at 6:40 pm. Doctors have yet to announce the cause of his death, TUCP Spokesperson Alan Tanjusay told Rappler in a text message.

Before he died, Mendoza headed the TUCP as its president. He took the position following the death of then-president Ernesto Herrera in October last year.

Mendoza was known as one of the founding fathers of the labor movement in the Philippines, pioneering the creation of labor centers in Quezon City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Davao City.

He started as a labor leader when he organized port workers in Cebu and created the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), which later became the biggest labor union in the country.

A 3-time Presidential awardee, Mendoza had consistently called for improved labor conditions both locally and internationally.

In 1983, Mendoza founded the ASEAN Trade Union Council, which helped advance the freedom of association workers. In 1993, he also pushed for a restructuring of the Philippine economy to generate new jobs and protect workers from growing contractualization

In his honor, Benguet Representative Ronald Cosalan filed House Resolution No. 1051 in April 2015, which sought for a congressional recognition to Mendoza's life-long dedication to the labor movement in the country.

"Mendoza's unwavering work, advocacy, inspiration and his love for the workingmen has challenged not only the Philippine government but also governments around the world," Cosalan said in the resolution. – Rappler.com

With ASEAN integration come social cost and disruption, labor group warns

THE COUNTRY’S biggest labor coalition warns of a disruption among workers with the realization of the planned economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
In a statement on Sunday, the Nagkaisa group of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said regional integration of which programs are under way could lead to low-quality jobs as well as a surge in unemployment.

“The integration will further stimulate jobless growth, race to the bottom phenomenon and promote other forms of precarious work conditions including lowered standard in occupational safety and health particularly if labor laws enforcement is weak and regulatory institutions are irrelevant,” TUCP-Nagkaisa Spokesperson Alan T. Tanjusay said.

The group referred to jobless growth as economic growth marred by unemployment, underemployment and poverty, and to the bottom phenomenon as competition among companies in cutting wages and workers’ living standards.

The TUCP said that, with regional integration, employers will have more leeway to pursue leaner operations, outsource jobs across borders, and relocate production to locations with the most affordable labor.

But Mr. Tanjusay for his part also said: “... [W]e can expect a wider job market for Filipino workers who are highly sought after because of their reputation for excellent craftsmanship. Thus, we see a rise in remittances and the spike of job-creating allied services which are additional perk to the economy.”

The group called for a review of the country’s Alien Employment Permit, issued by the Department of Labor and Employment, and the Work Visa and the Special Work Permit (SWP) issued by the Bureau of Immigration.

“Because of these double functions and lack of coordination between these two agencies, work permits are rife with graft and corruption resulting [in] lack of protection for foreign workers working in the country,” the group said. The group also urged the government to organize a single oversight body to grant, supervise and manage these permits. - By Alden M. Monzon, Reporter BusinessWorld Online

TUCP airs alien employment concerns

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it is now monitoring the possible arrival of illegal migrants, who may be victims of human trafficking, with the start of the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) last month.

ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“So far, we have not monitored any (surge in the number of foreign workers)… we will just continue our monitoring,” TUCP official Gerard Seno told reporters in an interview.

The country’s largest labor group expressed this concern after it reported in 2013 the some 3,000 foreigners without the necessary alien employment permit (AEP) to be working in construction sites in Bataan and Batangas.

The incident was immediately addressed by the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Earlier, DOLE’s Bureau of Local Employment (BLE) Director Dominique Tutay allayed fears the AEC will pave the way for the mass entry of migrant workers in local industries. - by Samuel Medenilla / Manila Bulletin