Drilon asked to air concern on endo jobs not just job loss of ABS-CBN workers

In reaction to the statement of Senator Franklin Drilon about the impending joblessness of ABS-CBN workers if the franchise is not renewed, the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) asked that he also air his concern on the contractual status of thousands of the network’s employees.

“If Senator Drilon accepts the fact that there are 11,000 ABS-CBN employees, then he must necessarily ask the question why some 10,000 of them remain on contractual status and thus denied higher wages, good benefits and job security,” asserted Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that “ABS-CBN denies its employee-employer relationship to these so-called talents and thus the company avers that it only has some 1,000 workers.”

On Monday, PM and other groups like Kalipunan and I-Defend are mobilizing against the repression of democratic rights and for defense of freedoms such as a critical press and the right to unionize. Unions are being red-tagged and strikes are being dispersed around the country, the group observed.

“We call on Congress not to end the franchise of ABS-CBN but we also demand that ABS-CBN stop endo among it workers. Wag i-endo ng Kongreso ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN pero wag din i-endo ng ABS-CBN ang mga manggagawa nito,”Magtubo explained.

Yesterday PM slammed Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa for his indifference to the predicament of some 11,000 workers of ABS-CBN who will be affected by a shutdown of the network.

“Wag pagmatigasan ni Bato ang mga manggagawa ng ABS-CBN. If Senator Bato is does not care about 11,000 ABS-CBN workers losing their jobs then he also does not care about the Filipino people. The plight of 11,000 ABS-CBN workers is a microcosm of the the conditions of some 26 million wage and salary workers in the country who together with their families definitely comprise a majority of the Filipino people,” argued Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

Magtubo made this remark in answer to Senator dela Rosa’s contention that the interests of the Filipino people trump concern over the livelihood of the ABS-CBN workers. He added that “It is obvious that the threat to shutdown ABS-CBN is rooted in President Duterte’s personal grudge and does not have anything to do with the national interest. Bato himself said that he lives or dies with President Duterte so his loyalty is just to one person not the entire nation.”

The group called on regular and contractual ABS-CBN workers to forge an alliance and for the talents to organize so that they have voice and representation. “Neither the Lopezes nor Duterte, or even the political opposition, can be relied upon to treat ABS-CBN workers fairly. Whatever happens to ABS-CBN, the workers are protected if they are united and organized,” stated Magtubo. 

February 20, 2020

Labor groups give final push to 'End ENDO Bill'

The End ENDO Bill is at the final stretch. Labor groups are eager to take it home.

"We have taken the fight this far. We expect no less than the passage of the End ENDO Bill," Atty. Sonny Matula, Chairperson of the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition said.

More than 500 workers from Nagkaisa members Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Sentro, Partido Manggagawa, Federation of Free Workers, AGILA, PALEA, UFSW and PSLink gathered at the doorsteps of the Senate Monday morning voicing out: "End ENDO now!"

“We would like to see that Malacañang actively engages the legislators through its Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) as it shepherds the bill to its passage, as it usually does in all certified measures,” Matula said.

In September last year, after continuous pressure from Nagkaisa, President Rodrigo Duterte certified as urgent the End ENDO Bill.

"We call on President Duterte to ensure that his decision to certify as urgent the passage of Senate Bill 1826 is carried to the letter by all his allies in the Senate by passing the bill as it is," Matula said.

“We urge our Senators to follow the lead of Senate President Tito Sotto who said that the End ENDO Bill is the upper chamber's priority at the beginning of the year," said Matula.

Nagkaisa's rally happened hours before Senate Bill 1826 was subjected to the long overdue deliberations at the Committee on Labor.

“It is now up to the Senate, under your leadership, Mr. Senate President, to realize this long-standing aspiration of the workers and the people.”

The Lower House has approved its version of the End ENDO Bill as early as January last year.

"The abuses on contractual and agency workers get worse each day that passes without an End ENDO Law to protect them,” Matula said.

"With only a few session days to go, the Senate is running out of time to deliver on a presidential promise—to end ENDO,” Matula said.

“The President has certified to the Senate for urgent legislation the End ENDO Bill in September. But to our great disappointment, the workers' priority bill was left to the back burner by the foot-dragging of the senators on second reading, who appear to be disinterested in addressing the continuing exploitation of labor,” Matula said.

“Workers are becoming anxious. The rising cost of basic commodities stemming from the inflation caused by the TRAIN Law, will worsen the situation of millions of poor workers who up to now have no security of tenure,” Matula said.

The Senate will be suspending its session to give way to the elections.

“While your legislative work will come to a halt, workers will continue the hard toil.  Ending ENDO will no doubt be a major election issue for us. We will remember those who stood up for workers and forget those who sat idly by the side,” Matula said.

Feb. 4, 2019
Nagkaisa Labor Coalition