The marchers belonging to a labor group from the Freeport Area of Bataan and a cause-oriented group wore masks as they carried a big streamer that read “Trabahong Marangal at Progresibo at Hindi Kontraktual” and wore shirts with “Hindi Stop ENDO ang Solusyon kundi Stop Contractualization” and “ENDO Ako Ngayon, Bukas Ikaw Naman”.
Nora Celis, a sewer of Dong-In Group of Companies, said there are more than 30,000 workers in FAB with only more than 10,000 in regular status.
In her own company, she said that of the more than 1,000 workers, only 188 are regularly employed. Dong-In, a Korean firm, manufactures bags for exports.
Celis said a regular worker receives P500 daily while a contractual one gets P364 and minus company benefits entitled to regular workers. Usually, a worker lasts for five months with the principal company and then transferred to an agency.
“Bahagi ang pagkilos na ito ng aming pambansang aktibidad upang iparating sa pamahalaan na ipatigil na contractualization sa mga pagawaaan,” said Emily Fajardo, secretary- general of Workers for People’s Liberation, Bataan chapter.
Delfin Ansaldo, assembler at Bahrain Fiber Glass, multi-national company, said he remained a contractual worker for two years receiving salary of P364 daily. “Gusto ko ng maging regular,” he said.
Celis, Fajardo, Ansaldo and the other rallyists asked President Duterte to fulfi ll his campaign promise. “Lutasin na po ang contractualization sa mga pagawaan. Gawin na pong regular ang mga manggagawa,” they asked the President.
