12/03/2023
Injustices Towards Human Work
Given that the majority of the population is involved in work through one way or another, there are problems that are several issues that are sure
1. Contractualization is the practice of hiring workers for a finite amount of time which is usually only for a few months. It is commonly known as "endo" which stands for end of contract or the 5-5-5 which is usually how long the contracts last. Why do business groups such as the Employers Confederation of the Philippines claim that this practice is good for workers? They claim that hiring workers for a certain time rather than as regular workers allows capitalists to increase profits and hire more workers which will contribute to economic growth which they see as a way to benefit all Filipinos. Based on the teachings of the Church, the person is infinitely more important than capital. However, they then argue that if we limit contractualization, many will companies will be unable to operate as profits fall. These arguments are all flawed. Contractualization exploits workers in two ways. First, they exploit the 'surplus' or extra products produced by workers to remain competitive. Workers are forced to accept wages and unfair conditions under these employers that only sustains them up to a point where they avoid starvation. Second, the conditions that contractual employees face prevent them from fighting for change. When workers are focused more on providing for their family and facing fear from their employers that they are trying to renew their contracts with, they are unable to make time to form unions and protest against the conditions that they are facing. Because of this, there is a decreased likelihood that they are able to organize and make way for transformative changes that will allow them to improve their condition.
What the government must do in this situation is create a law that will prevent employers from blurring their relationship with employees in order to inhibit abuse and exploitation. Employers must be regularized and given what is rightfully theirs so that they will be able to meet the needs of themselves and their families.
2. Non-Compliance with Labor Standards. The Labor Code, which serves as the law governing the employment practices and labor relations in the Philippines provides for many of the rightful conditions for employment. However, violations of common labor standards are not uncommon which makes learning about these issues necessary. One of the examples of this would be labor-only contracting, where a contractor or subcontractor simply recruits workers to perform a job for a principal or their client. In this arrangement, the contractor or subcontractor does not have the capital, equipment, or knowledge of the business of their client which means that the workers do not receive any benefits. Moreover, other examples include the: nonpayment of overtime, payment of a wage below the minimum, nonfulfillment of benefits, and making workers work on a rest day. To learn more about your rights as a worker, stay posted on DOLE's 2023 Learning Session Calendar and their Handbook on Worker's Statutory Monetary Benefits both of which are linked below.
3. Unemployment. Of course, unemployment violates the fundamental right to seek opportunities to sustain persons and their families. It removes them of the ability to participate in the community which drives them to starvation, death and crime. It is the responsibility of the government to provide opportunities for employment while also ensuring that these opportunities are safe for the workers. The government must subsidize education and create an environment of sustained economic growth to reduce unemployment in all its forms.
