MANILA, Philippines – As the country observed Labor Day yesterday, militant groups decried the low salary, poor working conditions and job contractualization that characterize the country’s labor situation. “How can workers celebrate when they are persecuted by poor wages, irregular jobs, risky and hazardous workplaces and inadequate social protection,” Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) president Raymondo Mendoza said. Mendoza said prosperity remains in the hands of the few and the upper class of the society. He lamented the aspired inclusive growth remains elusive for workers because the control mechanisms for it to flow down to the rank and file are broken. The TUCP said employers are not complying with general labor standards because DOLE has limited powers to monitor and conduct workplace inspections. The failure to fully enforce basic labor standards created opportunities for wide-scale practice of contractual work or the so-called “Endo” scheme, Mend...
