Let us do away with casuals now

IN OUR column of April 24, 2018 titled “Regular work for everyone”, we proposed to set up new service cooperatives and do away with the so-called “endo” or hiring of casual labor.

Now, we found out that we have already many existing multipurpose cooperatives organized under our Cooperative Code of the Philippines or Republic Act No. 6938 locally and nationwide.

They can supply outsourced labor as may be required by business or industry by simply exercising their function as a service cooperative under the law.

For labor groups that would like to put up their own multipurpose coops, there is no restriction for them to organize one.  All union members can migrate to cooperativism.  What are the requirements?

A cooperative may be organized and registered by at least 15 persons for any or all  of the following  purposes:

1) to encourage thrift and savings mobilization among members

2) to generate funds and extend credit to members for productive and provident purposes

3) to encourage among members  systematic production  and marketing

4) to provide goods and services and other requirements to members

5) to develop experts and skills among  its members

6) to acquire lands and provide housing benefits for the members

7) to insure members against losses

8) to promote and advance the economic, social and educational  status of the members

9) to establish, own, lease or operate cooperative banks, cooperative wholesale and retail complexes,  insurance and agricultural/industrial processing enterprises, and public markets

10) to coordinate and  facilitate the activities of cooperatives; and

11) to undertake any and all other activities for the effective and efficient implementation of the provision of the Multi-Purpose Cooperative Code.

If our labor leaders are serious in liberating our workers from many years of hardship and deprivation with the difficulty of obtaining benefits from the antagonistic attitude of some employers against labor unions, they should immediately embrace this idea of multipurpose Cooperatives whose function under the law is quite extensive.

By the cooperative way, there is the better prospect of opening up wide opportunities to improve the worker’s income as coop member rather than remain a laborer for life as a union member.

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Historical Quote of the Week

“The first luxury liner in the Philippines: the SS Don Esteban of the de la Rama Lines in Iloilo.” (For comments or reactions, please email to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com/PN)