Policy on contractualization could be signed in February

January 9, 2017

The labor department’s new policy on contractualization could be released by February as it needs to present this before the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council  on January 14.

Labor Undersecretary Dominador Say said this is a conservative estimate. “If the department order will be signed, that will be in February,” said Say.

“This is part of the process. This is called Tripartite Industrial Peace.  Although at the end of the day, the Department of Labor and Employment secretary will still be the one to make the decision,” added  Say.

The department order, forged in December, mandates companies providing workers to companies to support their people after the end of a project for three months until a new one comes along. If no new project comes up, the company must pay separation benefits,

The order totally bans subcontracting.

Say said Bello cannot sign the department order as Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III will be leaving on January 17 to assume his other duty as the chief government negotiator in talks with the National Democratic Front in Rome.

Even before the formal signing of the department order, labor groups have opposed this. They claim it is against the campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte to eliminate all forms of contractualization. DMS