YES, moi said at last Wednesday’s column that I will not write about Labor Day and the plight of the Filipino labor sector as it does seem boring and uninteresting.
Moi also said this: Moi would love to disappoint those expecting that kind of story, really it’s kind of boring unless you’re Renato Reyes or Sarah Elago but then again these two are just that, extremely boring.
Well, those two are still boring but somehow a twist in an otherwise typical Labor Day, you know, the usual rallies and burning the effigy of whoever is the current President made it quite interesting.
It started as what one expects Labor Day will be: the usual suspects and the usual labor groups are gathered and primed to march up to Mendiola Street which leads to Malacañang and burn the effigy of whoever is the current resident of the official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, in this case Rodrigo Duterte.
Along the way the usual suspects would be bearing placards and shouting their usual obsolete slogans i.e. “Ibagsak ang facistang regimen US-Duterte.”
Just to make it interesting, there were also sightings of placards in that Labor Day rally bearing these messages: “Ban Sharon/Gabby Mcdo Commercial”, “Pangit si Zandro” and “We support Kris, Not Korina.” Really, on a Labor Day rally.
Conspicuously missing were the Frappuccino-infused trendy social climbers from Ateneo, La Salle, UP and St. Scholastica; perhaps their hatred for Duterte is not enough motivation for them to rub elbows with yuck, the hoi polloi.
These social climbers should learn that an MBA will only make them salaried employees at JPMorgan while “rally is life” Renato Reyes, officially unemployed, probably makes more money than those with MBAs.
Seriously though, the main theme and reason why thousands joined Labor Day protests near Malacañang is to protest the failure of President Rodrigo Duterte to fulfill a major campaign promise to end “endo.”
“Endo”, from “end of contract”, is the widespread practice of employment short of the six months required for regularization that would entitle a worker to benefits.
And so they marched up Mendiola and burned the effigy of Duterte as Renato Reyes enjoys sipping his large Coke from McDonalds, probably had a big Mac to go along with it.
Meanwhile this happens (Excerpts from a May 1 CNN report):
Duterte orders clampdown on illegal contracting and subcontracting of workers
President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order clamping down on illegal contracting and subcontracting in front of labor groups on Tuesday, Labor Day.
“I remain firm in my commitment to end ‘endo’ and illegal contractualization,” Duterte said in his speech in Cebu City.
“Endo” or “end of contract” is a highly contested form of contractualization widely practiced in the country. It is when workers are hired for not more than five months, so employers don’t need to regularize them on the sixth month as mandated by the Labor Code. It strips millions of workers of all the benefits granted to regular employees by law.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III clarified the EO does not regulate all forms of contractualization, only unlawful contracting and subcontracting.
According to Bello, the types of contractual work that are allowed are outsourced and seasonal jobs and project-based work.
Duterte emphasized Section 2 of the signed EO.
It reads: “Contracting or sub-contracting, when undertaken to circumvent the workers’ right to security of tenure, self organization, and collective bargaining and peaceful concerted activities pursuant to the 1987 Constitution, is hereby strictly prohibited.”
“I hope that with all that I can do legally, there could be an impact sa inyong reklamong non-security of tenure,” Duterte said.
Following the signing of the EO, the President also urged Congress to do its part to help workers by entirely revising the “outdated” labor code.
“I believe that in order to implement an effective and lasting solution to the problems brought upon by contractualization, congress needs to enact a law amending the labor code… An executive order is not enough,” he said.
From the looks of things Duterte made fools of them again. He took out the very reason for all the protest marches and rallies against him for not fulfilling a campaign promise.
With that Executive Order or EO, he poured cold water on the burning effigy effectively dousing it causing “coitus interuptus” for Renato Reyes, Teddy Casiño and the rest of the so-called leftists and pseudo communists.
As expected, the usual suspects were not satisfied with Duterte’s EO clamping down “endo” and illegal contractualization. I t does not really take a “rocket scientist” to know why. It’s really simple, they lose their main issue to attack Duterte and they have run out of issues.
Besides, for Renato Reyes et al. it’s not profitable and no rallies means no profit err…life. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
