MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte is asking for more time to sign an Executive Order to abolish labor contractualization or “endo”, Malacañang said Thursday.
“I was made to understand that he asked for more time to issue the Executive Order on endo,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing. “That’s all that I was informed by head of protocol.”
Roque’s remark came a day after Duterte met with labor groups in Malacanang on Wednesday noting that it was a closed-door meeting.
The Palace spokesperson said the President needed more time to review the documents.
“He is studying the matter more thoroughly,” he added.
Labor groups earlier called for an end to labor contractualization through the issuance of an executive order that would give them security of tenure, self-organization, collective bargaining and peaceful concerted activities.
During their meeting, Duterte assured that the government will do its part to forwarding labor rights.
Aside from contractualization, other issues discussed in the meeting were wage setting, government cash subsidy, workers’ representation in tripartite bodies, recruitment and facilitation fees, and freedom of association in economic zones.
Present during the meeting were representatives from Kilusang Mayo Uno, Nagkakaisa Labor Coalition, Associated Labor Unions, Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, Partido Manggagawa, National Labor Union, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, National Confederation of Labor, among others. (Azer Parrocha/PNA)
