The Scourge of Labor

Come May 1, the nation will mark Labor Day, but is it worth celebrating?

For as long as labor remains mired in a state of deprivation, no significance – either real or imagined – can be attached to what is supposed to be a day of tributes to the workers.

That the workers are exploited with impunity can hardly be disputed, given the rampant practice by big businesses such as SM of tycoon Henry Sy to resort to contractualization.

Bluntly, contractualization – other than the businesses’ subtle way to rake in more profits — appears to be the hidden cost underlying a struggling economy.

While providing relief to the ranks of the jobless, such measure is but only temporary, exposing indeed the government’s lack of long-term solutions to the nation’s job woes.

Broadly, the malpractice is not only revolting, but also immoral because it deprives workers of their human right to a life of respect and dignity.

Without any moment’s notice, those who entered into such lopsided arrangement can be terminated even in the absence of any justifiable cause.

How and why contractualization continued to thrive under the noses of labor officials defies logic.

The economy, as the government says, has been on a growth track over the past years, creating opportunities for employment.

And yet, based on official statistics, there’s still a growing number of Filipinos who are jobless.

It only buttressed the fact that while growth is welcome news, it can’t be equated by any stretch of imagination with the uplift of the workers’ quality of life. Understandably, we can’t find fault with those who opt to look for greener pastures abroad.

Desperation is just overwhelming, leaving them with no choice but to take their chances in faraway lands.