ONE thing about homegrown restaurants such as Aboy’s or Bob’s. Aside from the great Filipino dishes, the employees working there seems family.
The waiters and probably the cooks are the same people you met, oh, a decade or even more ago. They recognize me, and I them.
The only difference is that many already have silver hair, the same ones that I have in my head. They have been working on the same job for years. Obviously they have job tenure.
I don’t know their terms of references with their employment. But one thing for sure, it’s not end-of-contract.
The same cannot be said of many big companies, especially the fast food outlets and the giant national if not international malls.
Their workers are here today, gone tomorrow. They’re just faceless, nameless young Negrenses. I managed to talk to some of them. According to them, their longest stay on the job is five months, the telltale sign of endo.
“Endo” is the practice of terminating the service of a worker after the expiration of his service agreement.
With endo or the 555 scheme, workers renew their contracts every five months so employers can avoid the obligation of paying them as regular employees, who are afforded various benefits and privileges after six months at work.
These establishments use workers hired by a subcontractor. Their contracts are with these people, not in their place of work.
During the May Day rally, over 1,500 Negrense worker-rallyists under the Kilusang Mayo Uno and 500 protesters of the Sanlakas-Negros and Bukluran ang Manggagawang Pilipino demanded the increase of the minimum wage and the end of endo. (Funny how they both raise the same issue and yet cannot get their acts together).
I cannot blame them. After all, President Rodrigo Duterte promised to fulfill his campaign promise to put a stop to labor contractualization.
Well, it’s not going to happen soon. Duterte requested the workers that he be given more time, as it would not be that easy, especially in certain industries.
Frankly, I suspect this administration is using flexitime. Didn’t Duterte promise to end the illegal drug trace within six months of his administration? And then he asked for an extension of six months. And then he promised the war against drugs will end upon the end of his term.
Will the same happen with the end of endo?
(bqsanc@yahoo.com)
