Workers losing patience with Duterte’s anti-contractualization vow, launch ‘corporate shame campaign’

Press Release
August 30, 2016

QUEZON CITY – Labor leaders belonging to the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), SUPER Federation, Metro East Labor Federation (MELF), Union Presidents Against Contractualization (UPAC) and Solidarity of Workers Against Contractualization (SWAC) today denounced the lack of progress in President Rody Duterte’s vow to end contractualization and demanded that the President show more resolve in fulfilling his campaign promise.

“It’s been more than fifty days since President Duterte assumed office and yet not a single capitalist or corporation has complied with the President’s order that they end contractualization,” Leody de Guzman, BMP President pointed out.

“The President’s viciousness and aggressiveness towards ‘drug lords’ contrasts markedly with his apparent timidity and diffidence towards capitalists exploiting their workers,” Atty. Luke Espiritu, SUPER President pointed out.

“Employers seem to be openly defying the President and flouting his authority,” observed Franco Villanueva, leader of SWAC. “We demand that the President fights back to demonstrate that he cares about the welfare of workers.”

The labor leaders also scored the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) for their opposition to the anti-contractualization campaign and their efforts to mislead the public by redefining contractualization and reducing it to the practice of “endo,” or terminating workers after five months of employment.

They reiterated that the government should end not just “endo” but all forms of contractualization, including “casual,” “project-based,” and “sub-contracting” forms of employment.

In line with their demand, the labor groups launched a “Corporate Shame Campaign” against firms and other organizations practicing or benefiting from contractualization, such as SM, PLDT, URC and Jollibee.