Both free speech rights and property rights belong legally to individuals, but their real function is social, to benefit vast numbers of people who do not themselves exercise these rights. — American author Thomas Sowell
WORKING for the first time in government, I find myself cash-strapped—that’s because its true government workers are paid lower salaries than most of those employed in private firms.
But this also depends in what agency you have been hired or what position you have been appointed to.
Take my case where I was hired last August as a contract of service (COS) staff of a small agency that is said to be under the Office of the President but in reality under the supervision of its mother agency.
Then I learned that since I was hired close to year’s end, I’d receive some monetary consideration as a Christmas gift or bonus for working diligently in public service.
Not so, however, since there’s a rule that those employed under job order (JO) contracts or COS are not suppose to get 13th month pay, bonuses or any other benefits afforded to regular government workers. This is why I laud Senator Mark Villar for wanting all government contractual workers to receive 13th month pay because just like permanent employees, they are also doing their jobs religiously.
Villar filed Senate Bill 1528 or the 13th Month Pay Law for Contractual and Job Order Personnel to provide the benefit to all government workers.
He believes Contract of Service (COS) and job order (JO) workers also play vital roles in government service.
And once the SB 1528 is approved and enacted into law and given the guidelines for implementation, then some 642,000 or so non-permanent government workers will benefit from its provisions.
The senator noted that “(JO and COS workers) fulfill their duties diligently and passionately (that is) comparable to permanent government employees.” Notwithstanding, he added, they are not entitled to midyear and yearend bonuses, such as the 13th-month pay, among other benefits.
Villar explained that during his tenure as Public Works and Highways secretary, he personally saw the government employees’ need for the benefit and amidst the rise of the inflation rate (and the foresight of a worldwide recession the coming year), benefits are needed be all workers.
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