BACOLOD CITY — Leaders of General Alliance of Workers Associations (GAWA) in Negros Occidental have lauded President Rodrigo Duterte’s signing of the executive order stopping the practice of contractualization.
“It is a welcome development,” said Wennie Sancho, secretary-general of GAWA.
The alliance leaders learned of Duterte’s signing of the order in Cebu City towards the end of their press conference, where they issued a two-page Workers’ Manifesto, late Tuesday morning here.
Sancho and his fellow labor leaders, including Hernane Braza, the national president of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines gave a round of applause in reaction to the President’s signing of the order, which prohibits illegal contracting and subcontracting.
“We will not only criticize the government, we will also praise them if they do something right,” Sancho added.
Although they have yet to obtain a copy of the signed executive order and determine its substance, the labor leader said they nevertheless welcomed the move of Duterte.
Sancho said they want the President’s order “to end contractualization once and for all, particularly for jobs that are necessary and desirable.”
A portion of the EO states that “contracting and subcontracting, when undertaken to circumvent the workers’ right to security of tenure, self-organization and collective bargaining and peaceful concerted activities, pursuant to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, is hereby strictly prohibited.”
Meanwhile, the manifesto of GAWA, signed by 15 presidents of labor unions and organizations and read by Sancho, expressed strong opposition to all forms of labor contractualization.
“We strongly oppose all forms of labor contractualization and other flexible employment arrangements which are inimical to the economic survival of the workers,” the labor leaders said.
They added: “There is no job security which adds to the insecurity in the work and life of the workers. Companies are demanding for contractual workers as their strategy to reduce production cost and maximize their profit.”
“Labor contractualization should be prohibited because it is unconstitutional,” the alliance further said.
They also “called upon all workers to unite in the spirit of solidarity and pursue the struggle for the workers’ liberation.”
“We reiterate the call for the emancipation of the poor workers from the bondage of unjust poverty and exploitation. On this significant day, we have chosen to side with the oppressed in their fight for justice and to stand against all persons and structures that oppose the workers liberation,” the alliance added. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
