MANILA – The government regularized over 200,000 workers in the first six months of the year, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“We aim to regularize 300,000 employees in 2018, 243,418 of which were already regularized during the first half of the year,” the department said.
Its statement was issued over the weekend, ahead of the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Labor secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered last year an immediate prohibition on “endo” or the practice of indefinite contractualization by employers.
“From August 2016 to date, a total of 321,964 workers were regularized. Of this total, 202,779 workers were regularized through voluntary regularization while 119,185 were regularized through inspection,” DOLE said.
“We are steadfast in according full protection to workers by ensuring job security pursuant to the directive of the President,” the department said.
Duterte has signed into law an order prohibiting illegal contracting or subcontracting and strengthening workers’ rights to security of tenure.
“We have taken initiatives to pursue effective implementation of the right to security of tenure and eliminate practices that circumvent the law prohibiting illegal contractual arrangements,” said the DOLE.
In the same statement, the DOLE said over P30 billion has been awarded to workers as part of labor dispute mediation efforts.
“So as to guarantee just, simplified, and expeditious resolution of labor issues at the workplace, we promote conciliation-mediation as an effective alternative dispute resolution mechanism in providing labor justice,” it said.
“Through this scheme, a total of around P32.1 billion in monetary award was given to 513,576 workers,” the department noted. (GMA News)
