“REGULAR jobs with living wages. That’s what the Aquino administration should aspire for if it wants to truly address widespread poverty in the country,” said Makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño.
As Labor Day approaches, Casiño said government and media should look into the continued practice of labor contractualization where employees are given only 5-month contracts, among other forms of contracts, to keep them from being regularized.
“For decades, small and large businesses have been abusing, circumventing and perhaps influencing labor laws and depriving our citizens of a decent life,” said the three-term congressman.
Of the non-regular workers in non-agriculture industries, contractual workers account for half the number with probationary and casual workers making up a fifth each of non-regular workers.
Many are in business process outsourcing, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing and construction.
“Many of these contractual workers have been working in their respective companies for years. Their contracts are merely renewed and they are not given benefits and adequate wage rates. This is even happening in government institutions,” Casiño explained, recalling complaints of public school teachers who are yet to be regularized amid serving for a decade or so.
The progressive solon explained that companies are resorting to contracting and subcontracting to reduce labor cost and avoid having labor unions at the expense of the workers.
“There really is something wrong in a system where the majority – the workers – are being deprived of the salary they deserve while companies are allowed to milk as much profit from their businesses. In the first place, there will be no progress and growth in any economy if not for workers,” Casiño said.
He further questioned the logic of allowing “rotating contractualization” of employees who serve as a company’s main workforce.
“Department store o restaurant ang negosyo tapos contractual lahat ng nagtatrabaho sa loob nito? Sino na lang ang may karapatang maging regular na manggagawa?” he asked.
Casiño furthered that contractual employment aggravates domestic unemployment and underemployment by destroying regular and permanent jobs while exposing contractual or temporary workers to substandard and inhumane working conditions.
“It is no surprise that underemployment in the country continues to soar, reaching a high of 20.9% or one in five workers in January this year. It means many Filipinos are still looking for additional work and income to support their families,” Casiño said.
The senatorial bet said prohibiting contractualization and subcontracting and raising wages will not only uplift the lives of Filipino workers but will also boost local growth.
“With higher wages, workers will have more to spend on food and health, resulting in a healthier workforce and boosting the local economy with higher demand for goods and services,” he said.
Casiño said once elected to the Senate, he will file a bill amending the Labor Code of the Philippines to keep employers from abusing provisions on contracting and subcontracting. He will also push for the replacement of policies that allow contractualization of the workforce and most importantly, call for the investigation of companies that practice illegal contracting and subcontracting.
He added that he will push for his comprehensive platform of agrarian reform, national industrialization and lower prices in the Senate to address the root causes of poverty.