Gov't workers to lose jobs in rightsizing plan - labor group

MANILA — A labor group on Wednesday opposed the government's plan to streamline the bureaucracy by rightsizing or removing redundant functions.

According to Federation of Free Workers president Sonny Matula, the measure could lead to the displacement of government workers.

"As we experienced in the trade union, nangyayari ito dahil ang resulta ay ang tanggalan ng maraming empleyado," he told ANC's "Rundown".

While the group does not object to the upskilling and reskilling of employees, Matula said the agenda of rightsizing the bureaucracy is still to terminate workers.

"Maganda siguro ang intention, pero the devil is in the details ng mga gawaing ito," he said.

• Gov't rightsizing 'not aimed at terminating employees': Palace

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an assessment of the "present set-up in the executive branch to determine redundant positions".

According to the Presidential Communications Office, government rightsizing is not aimed at terminating employees but to serve as a tool to upskill and reskill the current government workforce to improve state services and programs.

But Matula is worried about the plan, amid reorganization measures being implemented in other agencies.

He cited the case of the Duty-Free Philippines Corp., where 500 employees were given a notice of separation and required to reapply for 345 plantilla positions.

He foresees similar moves happening in other agencies.

The group is pushing for the passage of a proposed "Public Service Labor Relations Act," which aims to give all public sector employees the right to self-organize, to collective bargaining and negotiation, to peaceful concerted activities, as well as the use of voluntary modes of dispute settlement.

• Marcos pushes for government rightsizing in first SONA

Last month, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 7240 or the proposed National Government Rightsizing Act.

The proposed rightsizing will determine which among the 187 government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations may be streamlined through merging, restructuring or abolition.

Data gathered by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group showed there were 1,755,242 career and non-career government officials and employees as of August 2021. This is based on the latest Inventory of Government Human Resources Report from the Civil Service Commission.

More than 4 percent or 71,635 of the nearly 1.7 million officials are working in 126 GOCCs.

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