Villanueva says ending ‘endo’ is not anti-business

INQUIRER PHOTO/Leo Sabangan, PDI

Giving workers certainty and social protection makes them more efficient, productive and competitive, Senator Joel Villanueva said noting that ending labor-only contracting schemes will also benefit businesses.

“Ending ‘endo’ is not anti-business. Giving our workers certainty and social protection makes them more efficient, more productive, and, in lieu of ‘social clauses’ and brand codes of conduct, more market competitive, which is the primary concern of every business,” Villanueva said on Tuesday in his sponsorship speech on Senate Bill No. 1826 or the Security of Tenure Bill.

Citing a study conducted in 13 European countries by the International Labor Organization in 2004, Villanueva said that “tenure has a positive effect on productivity for about 14 years and levels off thereafter.” He noted that countries remain productive with a high share of long-tenured workers.

Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, also lamented the weak enforcement of DOLE’s order to regularize employees of companies tagged in labor-only contracting scheme.

“Nananatili itong papel o order lamang dahil hindi naman naipapatupad sa iba’t ibang kadahilanan. Ang mga manggagawa ay tinatanggal o nagkakapalitan lang ng mga contractors, at ang pinakamasaklap, lalo pa po silang nalagay sa alanganin – tulad ng mga inaresto matapos ang marahas na dispersal ng mga manggagawang nagpiket sa Nutri-Asia sa Marilao, Bulacan at mga nagpo-protesta sa PLDT na ilang linggo nang walang tinatanggap na sahod sa kumpanya,” Villanueva said.

Earlier, NutriAsia made headlines following the violent dispersal of its striking workers at their factory in Marilao, Bulacan.

Under the Security of Tenure Bill, social protection of workers will be ensured through the prohibition on labor-only contracting.

The bill only allows independent, licensed and specialized job contracting, simplifying classification of workers and tightening the rules regarding probationary employees, the senator said.

“Senate Bill 1826 is clear enough to meet the interests of the labor sector and the interests of the business sector,” Villanueva shared, noting that it is “pro-labor, pro-business, and pro-Filipino.”