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Media Release
21 February 2012

10th year of DOLE Order No. 18-02
Workers hold nationwide protest vs. ‘license for contractualization’

Workers across the country led by labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno held a nationwide protest today against a Labor department order they dubbed as “the license for contractualization.”

In Metro Manila, hundreds of workers trooped to the Department of Labor and Employment main office in Intramuros, Manila to condemn Department Order No. 18-02 which legalizes contractualization in the country.

“Contractualization has long been a pest to workers across the country. It should be junked now,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“Contractualization has plunged workers deeper into the status of slaves. Contractuals, who comprise the majority of the country’s workers, receive lower wages, do not receive benefits, have no job security, and are denied their trade-union rights,” he added.

DO 18-02 claims to ban labor-only contracting while outlining guidelines on how capitalists can undertake the employment scheme legally. It allows capitalists to implement labor-only contracting once granted the registration as job contractor.

Even if the job undertaken by a contractual worker is essential to a company’s business, the company won’t be charged with labor-only contracting if it declares that the job is only temporary.

Women workers

KMU called attention to the plight of women contractuals, who comprise the majority of contractual workers.

“Women contractuals receive wages lower than those received by male contractuals. They are denied maternity benefits when they get pregnant and in some special economic zones, pregnancy automatically means being booted out from work,” Labog said.

“We are calling on workers – male and female alike, whether contractual or regular – to unite to fight for the junking of contractualization. It is only through our broad unity and action that we can end this anti-worker employment scheme,” he added.

The workers were joined by women’s group Gabriela, which is also calling for the junking of contractualization and DO-18-02. Women workers will be joining protests on March 8, the International Day of Women.

Reference: Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson, 0908-1636597

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News Release
21 February 2012

DOLE Order 18-02, 10 years of legalized violation of workers’ rights

Anakpawis Partylist slammed the 10th year implementation of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Department Order 18-02 saying the DO is a legalization of attacks against workers’ right to security of tenure.

“DO 18-02 must immediately be put to trash where it belongs!” Joel Maglunsod, Anakpawis Executive Vice President said.

“Security of tenure is a right guaranteed by our constitution and labor laws. But because of the DO 18-02, the government allows companies to violate this right through labor contractualization” he added.

According to recent studies, contractualization is very rampant in the country. In fact, 7 out of 10 companies are implementing various contractualization schemes making contractuals or casuals outnumber regular workers.

“Contractualization as a government labor policy is a plague that haunts our workers and the people. It has destroyed permanent and regular jobs in the country making the present unemployment rate rise to a very alarming level,” Maglunsod said.

Latest data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) revealed that the country’s unemployment fell slightly from 7.3 percent in 2010 to 7 percent in 2011, while underemployment rate increased from 18.8 percent in 2010 to 19.3 percent in 2011.

But for Anakpawis, these data does not show improvement in the country’s employment. According to Maglunsod, NSO’s recent data only means that more regular workers are being turned into contractuals.

“The very minimal decrease in unemployment rate does not mean that the government has created new jobs. In fact, the rise of underemployment proves the increasing scarcity of regular jobs in the country and more workers are forced to work as contractuals with unsecured, low quality and low income jobs” Maglunsod said.

Regular Employment not regular price hikes

As oil prices hiked anew, Anakpawis stressed the need of regular jobs in the country saying contractual workers could not cope anymore with the never-ending increase in prices of oil and other commodities.

“If regular workers, who are paid with the meager minimum wage could no longer cope with the ever increasing prices of oil and other commodities, how much more could contractual who are only paid with no more than P300 a day? To make it worse, there is even no assurance that would still have jobs after a few months” said Maglunsod.

“It is of absolute numbness that the Aquino administration prefers to defend the oil cartel’s regular price hike rather than promote and create regular jobs for the people” he added.

Anakpawis also called for the immediate passage of House Bill 5110 or the Regular Employment Bill, a bill that aims to strengthen workers’ right to security of tenure against various labor contractualization schemes.

“We call on Congress to immediately pass the Regular Employment Bill (House Bill 5110) as a legislated protection for our workers’ right to security of tenure and promote regular employment as a government policy for labor and employment. We also call on Filipino workers regular or casual to join the fight against contractualization and for substantial wage increase.” Maglunsod ended. ##

Reference: Joel Maglunsod, Anakpawis Executive Vice President, 0949-755-2415


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