By Meanne Corvera
Eagle News Service
The Senate will push through with legislation that will strengthen the rights of workers to security of tenure.
According to Senate President Koko Pimentel, who issued the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order to that effect on Tuesday, May 1, on Labor Day, it will be a priority bill of the Senate when it resumes session on May 15.
“The EO, whatever is in there, is a guide for everyone on where the Executive stand on the issue of endo although it did not depart from the existing policy on contracting,” Senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, said.
Villanueva said that “addressing the abuses and ensuring compliance by businesses with labor standards and OSH (occupational safety & health) standards through clear and fair legislation is not anti-business.”
Senator Sonny Angara, vice chair of the Senate panel, for his part, said that the Constitution clearly states that the government should ensure that no right of any Filipino worker is violated.
“Dapat silang protektahan ng gobyerno at siguruhing di nalalagay sa peligro ang kanilang kapakanan,” he said.
President Duterte has said he remains “firm in (his) commitment to put an end to ‘endo’ and illegal contractualization.”
The President said that the EO he signed bans “illegal contracting or subcontracting or undertaking to circumvent the workers’ right to security of tenure.”