The security of tenure bill which seeks to protect workers from unfair labor practices will be passed within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Sunday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the campaign promise of Duterte to prohibit illegal contractualization would continue under his watch before his term expires in 2022.
“It’s just a temporary setback on the part of the working class because the President is also looking at the side of the management,” Panelo said in a radio interview.
His statement came after Duterte vetoed the bill last week, citing the need to strike a balance between the interests of businesses and workers and the potential lost of jobs.
“Ultimately, our workers will suffer. Many will lose their jobs. If companies will stop their operations, where will they go?” Panelo said.
In his letter addressed to the Congress, Duterte said many businesses would cease operations if there is no “definite classification” of the companies that are not covered by the ban on labor-only contracting.
He said Congress can introduce a new bill that does not totally prohibit labor-only contracting.
“Definitely, if you really want to have that law, Congress can do that,” Panelo said.
The decision of the President to veto the bill earned cheers from business groups, while the labor sector and some lawmakers expressed disappointment on Duterte’s move.
Panelo said the President took into consideration the interests of the management and the rights of workers.
“While the Constitution states that we should look after our working class, it does not mean we have to destroy the employer. If there are no employers, there would be no working class,” he said.
Panelo said the Chief Executive remains firm in protecting workers’ rights.
Duterte issued an executive order on contractualization in May 2018 and certified the anti-endo bill as urgent.