"Avenge the workers"
Hontiveros calls for "Endgame" to ENDO

A day before the celebration of International Labor Day, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros called on her fellow Senators to set an "endgame" to the country's labor contractualization policy.

"Kailangan nang wakasan ang labor contractualization. Panahon na para ipasa ang Security of Tenure Bill. Kung sa Avengers ay may "endgame," dapat bigyan na rin natin ng "endgame" ang ENDO," Hontiveros said, drawing a parallelism to the Hollywood blockbuster film, Avengers.

"It's time that the government avenge the Filipino workers for this unjust and inhumane labor policy," Hontiveros added.

Hontiveros, who is currently the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, said that the proposed Security of Tenure Bill will protect workers from unscrupulous and discriminatory contracting and sub-contracting and strengthen the security of tenure of workers.

The Senator also said the measure will help in closing the gender gap in the labor sector. Citing data from the International Labor Organization (ILO), Hontiveros said that women in several ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, tend to have a bigger share of vulnerable employment than men.

"Filipino women have a lower labor participation rate compared to men, and those fortunate enough to be employed are more exposed to vulnerable employment like contractual jobs. Mas mahirap makakuha ng trabaho ang mga kababaihan. Kung makahanap man ng pagkakakitaan, kadalasan, ito ay mga trabahong kontraktuwal," Hontiveros said

ENDO: A health risk to workers

Hontiveros, who is also the Vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Health, said that labor contractualization, popularly known as "ENDO,"referring to "end of contract" jobs, is also a public health risk to many Filipino workers.

"Contractual workers are more vulnerable to health risks than regular workers as contractualization is a scheme meant to avoid paying workers the social and health benefits that regular employees are entitled to. Thus, contractual workers are forced to endure precarious working conditions and pay for their own health expenses when they get sick or injured at work," Hontiveros said.