Body urged to monitor foreign workers

These photo taken in May 2019 shows Chinese workers working on the bridge that will connect Binondo and Intramuros. PHOTO BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE

ORGANIZED labor has proposed to President Rodrigo Duterte the creation of a tripartite monitoring body for foreign workers to better address problems arising from an influx of aliens, particularly Chinese, who are working and living in the country.

The monitoring body will be composed of government agencies, workers’ groups and the private sector, according to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

The TUCP, the country’s biggest labor group, raised the idea on Friday amid serious issues such as non-payment of taxes by Chinese citizens working in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs).

“There must be a single tripartite board that addresses and manages the issues surrounding these foreign workers,” TUCP President and TUCP party-list Rep. Raymond Mendoza said.

It was revealed in a recent Senate hearing that there are around 400,000 foreigners working in Metro Manila.

Of the number, 150,000 are reportedly working in POGOs.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd has expressed concern over the influx of Chinese citizens, saying there were only 115,000 foreign workers with alien employment permits (AEPs) issued by regional directors of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Of the 115,000 AEPS, 51,000 were issued to Chinese citizens.

Under the TUCP’s proposal, the tripartite body will report directly to the President.

It is to be composed of government agencies, workers groups and private business organizations coordinating with foreign embassies, with a mandate to inspect and manage the needs and growth potentials of the industry and its workers.

“Right now, no one is in charge of this new multi-billion dollar industry [POGOs] because government agencies have limitations and [are] unable to go beyond their respective mandates. However, with this tripartite government, workers and business oversight body, the government must be able to fill the gaps and be able to be in control of these overlapping needs of the business and the workers,” the TUCP said.

The government, it added, was at a loss on the number of legally and illegally working Chinese and other foreign workers actually staying in the country, partly because different government agencies issue different permits and various visas.

The TUCP had also been raising with the government the issue of Chinese construction workers performing jobs that can be performed by Filipino workers. - By WILLIAM DEPASUPIL, TMT

Labor sets protests vs security of tenure bill junking; refiling next

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LABOR groups will mount a mass demonstration on Monday to signal the start of a series of protest expected to culminate in a big indignation rally over the junking of the security of tenure (SOT) bill last week.

Partido Manggagawa (PM) said the first wave of protests will be held in Metro Manila and Cebu to show the outrage of workers over President Duterte’s decision to veto the bill, which took nearly two decades to go through the legislative mill before getting bicameral approval, only to be scuttled at the last minute as business groups mounted a last-ditch lobby against it.

“The security of tenure bill is the latest victim of killing under the Duterte regime. Workers vow to continue the fight to end ‘Endo,‘” declared Wilson Fortaleza, spokesman of Partido Manggagawa, referring to Duterte’s 2016 campaign promise to “end Endo [end of contract],” the catch-all term for illegal contractualization.

Dubbed the “Black Monday Protest,” the noise barrage in Metro Manila will be attended by members of PM, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), at the Boy Scout Circle in Quezon City at 5 p.m.

Sentro Secretary-General Joshua Mata said the militant labor group will also hold a small protest action in Mendiola, Manila, in the morning.

The Cebu protest will be held at the Gate 1 of the Mactan Economic Zone in Lapu-Lapu City, also at 5 p.m. “After these events, labor groups will be meeting to discuss the big indignation rally,” Mata said.

During these demonstrations, Fortaleza said they will hold Duterte accountable for “killing” the SOT bill in favor of business interests.
Local and foreign business groups had campaigned against the SOT as crafted by the 17th Congress, despite observations the final version—the Senate bill as adopted by the House of Representatives—was “watered down.”

According to an exclusive BusinessMirror report, a briefing paper sent to Duterte by some employers estimated that in manufacturing alone, business will have to shell out P49 billion annually as additional cost to comply with the measure if it is signed into law.

“Workers will not forget this betrayal by Duterte of his promise to end Endo. He is parroting the lame capitalist alibi that businesses will die if workers are made regular. Duterte’s promise to end Endo is dead,” Fortaleza said.

Refiling next

The protests also aim to drum up public support for their renewed attempt to have the SOT bill refiled in the 18th Congress.

According to labor leaders, several lawmakers have already committed to file the SOT bill, including Senators Joel Villanueva and Risa Hontiveros, and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Party-list Representative Raymond Mendoza.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto prodded Malacañang at the weekend to convene a tripartite summit before it submits to Congress its version of another SOT bill, to avert another veto.

This, even as Villanueva ruled out a congressional override option to reverse the Palace veto.

“Override is an option but I don’t think it’s a viable solution,” Villanueva said over the weekend, adding that “some lawmakers are not comfortable with it.

Villanueva, however, confirmed his readiness to refile the vetoed measure.

“We will refile the bill because it is the right thing to do,” Villanueva vowed.

Palace told: Write own version

For his part, Recto signaled determination to push passage of the bill. “But this time, the Executive Branch should write its own version and send it to Congress with an attached presidential certification as to its urgency,” Recto said, adding: “If it has changed its mind, then the version it now wants must be in black and white, so nothing will be lost in translation.”

Recto explained this is needed because the Palace veto message did not cite the specific provisions that triggered the veto.

“Let the burden of proposition fall on them this time,” the Senate President Pro Tempore said. “But this will be for the information of Congress only, and should not mean that it must be the one passed en toto.”

Better still, Recto recommended that Malacañang convene a tripartite summit on endo, with business, labor and the government in a frank exchange of views.

“Last, this episode underscores once again the need to strengthen its liaison work with Congress. I sympathize with Senator Villanueva who had worked hard on this bill…This was not an easy bill to write. Joel made sure that it was a balanced one. It was a tightrope act under stormy conditions.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri recalled it was Duterte who reminded lawmakers about the Security of Tenure bill in his State of the Nation Address in 2018, only to veto it.

“The Cabinet should get their act together as it would make us legislators look stupid and embarrass the President as well, as he mentions these measures during the Sona,” Zubiri said. - By Samuel P. Medenilla & Butch Fernandez

‘Scare tactics’ by bizmen behind SOT bill veto

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MANILA – The usually moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), touted as the country’s biggest labor union, squarely placed on businessmen’s shoulders the blame for the major setback in the enactment of the Security of Tenure Bill, also known as the “End Endo Bill”.

TUCP spokesman Allan Tanjusay said the labor group “blames the scare tactics and deception of capitalists, both local and foreign businesses, for misleading President Duterte in rejecting the bill because it would disincentivize business and investors.”

Permanently putting an end to the often-exploitative practice of labor only contractualization was one of the president’s campaign promises, he added.

The measure aims to outlaw the practice of labor-only contracting or endo (end of contract) which the employers’ sector have been known to perpetuate in order to limit the benefits extended to workers and allow for easy termination of services.

“Business groups threatened our government with frightening scenarios of capital flight, relocation, and increased costs. We remind the foreign chambers, the employers, and the economic managers that dirt cheap and exploitative labor policies are no longer come-ons for investments,” Tanjusay added.

Meantime, a statement released by Malacañang following the bill’s veto said that Duterte merely wants to see some revisions on the bill, to promote fairness and retain ease of doing business in the country, which he also works on to invite more investors to come into the country.

“Our goal has always been to target the abuse while leaving business free to engage in those practices beneficial to both management and workforce,” the president’s statement read.

With the bill expected to be filed again in the 18th Congress, the Palace has reportedly pointed out certain provisions in the measure that need to be changed by its proponents.

This includes allowing certain forms of contractualization that do not specifically do harm to employees, instead of legislating a wholesale ban on short-term labor contracts. The proposed law should also take into account that policies adopted to protect workers should not “oppress or destroy” capital. (PNA)

TUCP asks Duterte to consider workers affected by crackdown on PCSO games

Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines appeals to President Rodrigo Duterte to institute reforms in the agency as soon as possible to avoid compromising workers' livelihoods

CLOSED. Members of the Philippine National Police, including NCR top cop Guillermo Eleazar (right most), immediately close PCSO establishments following President Rodrigo Duterte's order. NCRPO photo 

MANILA, Philippines – Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) urged President Rodrigo Duterte to consider the thousands of workers who would be displaced following his order to stop all gaming schemes of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
TUCP said that while it "respects" Duterte's decision to suspend PCSO's operations due to "massive corruption," they hope the agency's attendants were considered in the process.

The group appealed to Duterte to institute reforms in the agency as soon as possible to avoid compromising workers' livelihoods.

"Nakikiusap ang mga manggagawa ng PCSO betting stations na nawalan ng trabaho na kung maaari bilisan ang panahon ng suspension of operations upang sila ay makapagpatuloy sa kanilang trabaho. Nangangamba kasi sila na baka tuluyan na silang mawalan ng trabaho at mawalan ng kabuhayan," TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said on Saturday, July 27. - Sofia Tomacruz