Hontiveros meets workers, pledges to push for anti-contractualization law

PASAY CITY - "We must stop the exploitation of workers".

This was the statement of Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday as she met with the participants of the Anti-ENDO Caravan organized by the NAGKAISA labor coalition, Partido Manggagawa (PM) and the Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (PALEA).

In the meet-up at the Senate stop of the said caravan yesterday, the Senator pledged to push for the passage of an anti-contractualization law that will provide "work with dignity to our workers".

Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 217 or the Security of Tenure Bill to protect workers from unscrupulous and discriminatory contracting and sub-contracting.

The Senator also welcomed the directive of the current administration "to end endo". Endo is the colloquial term for "end of contract", a system by enterprises and employers that contract workers to 4-6 months in order to avoid regularizing workers and providing them social security benefits.

"We must fight for regular and decent jobs. It is time for a strong policy that will protect our workers from contractualization and other schemes that continue to deprive them of their full benefits, Senator Hontiveros concluded.