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
"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
