THE UGNAYAN ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng UST Hospital (UNM-USTH) has criticized the hospital management’s outsourcing of employees and has threatened to raise the issue to the labor department if the practice persists.
“The Union remains resolute in its stand that if the hospital’s insistent practice of illicit outsourcing is not resolved, there will be no hesitation to escalate this concern to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for further ruling,” the union said in a statement dated Friday, May 30.
According to the union, some departments have already more outsourced employees than those directly hired such as the Dietary and Laboratory Aides departments.
The UST Hospital management sources manpower from Caritas Et Labora Human Resource Service cooperation, threatening the benefits and job security of both directly hired and outsourced employees, UNM-USTH said.
The union said the act had violated the labor department’s Order 174 series of 2017, which covered illicit forms of employment arrangements. The order enumerates illegal forms of employment arrangements, including involving the contractor’s employees to perform functions of regular employees and other practices circumventing the right of workers’ security of tenure.
“Outsourcing of employees poses a threat and disadvantage to both directly hired and outsourced employees both in received benefits and security of tenure. This drove the force for UNM-USTH to initiate the necessary conversation with the institution’s Management,” the union said. F
