DBP union members protest delayed release of benefits
-A A +AWednesday, September 12, 2012
TWENTY-SEVEN union members of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) in Davao City are calling on President Benigno Aquino III to approve the long-delayed release of their fringe benefits for almost three years now.
Randy Mendrico, president of the DBP Employees Union in Davao City, said all DBP-Davao employees wore black arm bands to show their dismay to the Aquino government its failure to grant merit increases, additional compensation, and representation allowance and transportation allowance (Rata) since the President assumed his post in 2009.
He said the fringe benefits are institutionalized, meaning they are supposedly increasing every year but this is being stalled at the Malacañang Palace and left unapproved by Aquino.
The employees will be wearing the black bands from Monday to Thursday while they will all come in black shirts on Fridays.
He said they will only stop when then demands are granted.
He said the national directorate of the DBM in Manila submitted the manifesto to Malacañang, urging Aquino to act on almost three-year delayed release of their benefits.
"They are the ones who spearheaded the silent protest," he said.
Malacañang received the manifesto on August 31, but it is yet to get a response from Aquino.
Samuel Robin, union member of DBM-Davao, said the delay in the approval of the fringe benefits can be attributed to the creation of Governance Commission for Government-owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) under the GOCC Governance Act of 2011.
Any proposal from GOCCs has to go through Governance Commission for GOCCs for final review before reaching the Office of the President.
Unlike before, he said, requests from GOCCs will only have to be reviewed by the Department of Budget and Management that will make recommendations for Aquino's approval.
He said three years is already a long delay. But, they are hoping that Aquino will approve the long-stalled benefits.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on September 13, 2012.
Local news
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