Herrera: Stop ‘endo’ in gov’t
A LAWMAKER has reiterated her call to address the problem of contractualization, also known as end-of-contract or “endo,” in the public sector.
Bagong Henerasyon Representative Bernadette Herrera defended the passage of her House Bill (HB) No. 1387, which seeks to grant civil service eligibility to long-time casual state workers during the hearing of the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulations.
She added: “Hopefully, HB 1387 will put an end to that. If we want to end endo in the private sector, we have to lead by example in government.”
At the end of the hearing, the committee chaired by Bohol 3rd District Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor decided to come up with a substitute bill, which will be a consolidation of HB 1387 and 10 other bills, as well as the approved version in the 18th Congress, pertaining to the regularization of contractual government employees.
HB 1387 seeks to grant automatic civil service eligibility to long-time casual state workers in a bid to reduce labor contractualization in government.
Covered under Herrera’s bill are government employees holding casual or contractual positions in the first and second levels and who have rendered at least five consecutive years of government service.
The bill, however, provides that these employees “shall not be entitled to any promotion unless they obtain the appropriate eligibility requirement for that position.”
Data from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) showed that in 2017, there were approximately 2.4 million state workers, making the government the biggest employer in the country.
Of this number, over 660,000 were hired as casual or contractual workers.
According to Herrera, granting regular status will serve as “an incentive towards more productive work, investing in one’s job, and taking on a longer-term view at one’s career advancement.”
“Considering the services they extend in all government offices vis-a-vis the insufficient benefits and privileges accorded the casual and contractual employees, the government should grant these dedicated employees who have rendered efficient service in the bureaucracy an opportunity to obtain their civil service eligibility,” she pointed out.
