More Than 10,000 Workers Regularized Under Duterte Administration - DOLE

A massive regularization of 10,532 workers nationwide was voluntarily done by 195 companies in response to Duterte's administration goal to reduce the contractualization of workers by fifty percent by the end of the year 2016 and elimination of contractualization by2017, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III stated.

“We continue to encourage employers to voluntarily regularize workers, who are under labor-only contracting arrangements,” said secretary Bello in a press conference for the First 100 Days of the Duterte administration.

The companies who responded to the regularization of workers are SM which regularized 4,796 workers. The convenience store 7-Eleven which regularized 800 workers. The well-known department store Rustan's committed 1,200 employees for regularization.

Seven manpower agencies in Luzon area were given the cease-and-desist orders (CDOs) from the DOLE. 

"'Yung cease-and-desist order, from its very implication, ibig sabihin pinapahinto namin yung operations ng kumpanya or kaya inorderan namin yung isang ahensya or manpower service ay huwag muna sila magdeploy. Yung cease and desist order is already a form of sanction," said Bello.

These manpower agencies are  HD Manpower Services Cooperative, Worktrusted Manpower Cooperative, Excellent Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Global Skills Multi-Purpose Cooperative, DCMM Manpower Services,  JD Manpower Services and Abelline Human Resources Services.

The Alaska Milk Corporation is also cited as the next target of issuance of CDO.

"Kapag hindi sila naka-comply, that will be tantamount to failing the assessment. In which case, ang kanilang preventive suspension can worsen to a cancellation of registration," added Dole Undersecretary Dominador Say.

"All regional offices have been directed to suspend the Certificates of Registration of establishments found violating the law of security of tenure," said Bello.

Secretary Bello assured that the DOLE's objective to eliminate the "endo" will not lead to job losses unless the company decided to close down or stop its operation.

"Ang worst case scenario is mag-close shop yung kumpanya. Unless they will close, these contractuals will graduate into regular employees," said Bello.

Source: Sunstar