ALU-TUCP: DOLE's more than 300,000 regularized workers in the SONA report is grossly exaggerated

By ALU-TUCP
July 28, 2018

QUEZON CITY – The country's biggest labor group Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) revealed that the "more than 300,000 regularized endo workers" by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as its accomplishment since 2016 is grossly exaggerated.

DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello and Bureau of Labor Relations Director Benjo Benavidez made it appear to President Duterte for his State of the Nation Address Monday that the DOLE have regularized 321,000 Endo and contractualized workers over the period of two years as achievement in compliance to Duterte efforts to stem the prevalent, short-term and temporary contractualization work practice.

However, upon verification of the records of DOLE Thursday, ALU-TUCP Spokesperson Alan Tanjusay learned that only 202,000 contractualized workers have been absorbed voluntarily by different establishments nationwide as regular workers and about 119,000 other Endo workers have yet to be regularized because the principal employers are contesting the regularization order of DOLE regional offices.

Even the 202,000 alleged regularized Endo workers are still questionable because it has to be verified if they were regular to the middlemen manpower agencies or to the principal employer and principal business owner that utilize their service.

We urge the DOLE to rectify the matter and make the necessary, accurate and honest clarification to the people, Tanjusay said.

It can be recalled that Bello vehemently denied ALU-TUCP allegations they misinformed the President with the data and dared Tanjusay to himself check his data with the DOLE office.

But Bello surprised with Tanjusay showing up his office the whole day Wednesday.