Renew, revitalize labor sector hard-hit by COVID-19

It has been nearly two years since the labor sector enjoyed prime time attention. That was when President Duterte vetoed the Security of Tenure Act passed by Congress in answer to the clamor for ending “abusive” practices in labor-only contracting — popularly known as endo — that was a hot issue in the 2016 presidential election campaign.

The government heeded the spirited appeal of the business sector on the possible deleterious consequences of the proposed law that, they opined, would deter foreign investments and negate the country’s steady pace of consistent economic growth that had enabled the attainment of investment-grade ratings in global finance.

But COVID-19 has inflicted serious damage on the country’s economy; the labor sector is concededly the biggest loser. According to a recent report of the International Labor Organization (ILO):