DOLE eyes regularization of 9K East Visayas workers

TACLOBAN CITY, April 6  -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is eyeing to regularize 9,000 workers in the private sector this year as part of the government’s drive to end labor-only contracting or “endo”.

The regional office has deployed three teams to meet with business owners, focusing on companies that are widely practicing “endo”, said DOLE Regional Director Joel Gonzales.

The official said they are working double time to meet the goal considering that from January to March this year, only 300 workers were given regular positions.

“We have massive consultations with business owners practicing this working arrangement. We have to help them realize that they are capable of regularizing their workers whom they should consider as assets and part owners of their business,” Gonzales told Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Friday.

Nationwide, the labor department aims to regularize 300,000 workers this year in fulfillment of the campaign promise of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Due to manpower constraints, DOLE prioritizes the inspection of establishments vulnerable to this type of working arrangement such as shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, food chains, gas stations, manufacturing, construction, transport, and fishing industry.

The regional office, said Gonzales has only 20 labor inspectors tasked to check the compliance of thousands of business establishments in the region’s six provinces.

The official said that while they have been strengthening the campaign to eliminate labor-only contracting, they have to take into consideration that some business owners are not fully aware of that the practice is unlawful and some are incapable to provide benefits to regular workers.

“We have to extend assistance to employers who are not aware that this system is unlawful, but we also issue orders to non-compliant companies,” he added.

Last year, the DOLE regional has inspected 1,566 establishments. This was pushed after conducting employer’s forum on DOLE Department Order (DO) No. 174. At least 1,733 workers in Eastern Visayas have been regular employees in 2017.

On March 19, 2017, the labor department released the DO no. 174, laying down its new regulations governing contracting and subcontracting arrangements. (SQM/PNA)