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Friday, November 11, 2005
Bus workers rally even without permit
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
SEVERAL workers from a provincial bus company Thursday staged a peaceful rally at the Agora Terminal saying the firm has so far failed to give them the benefits stipulated in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) since 2001 and that it is into union busting among violations of the labor laws.
Mayor Vicente Emano said Thursday morning he was forced to recall the permit to rally he approved for the union after he received an order from Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Secretary Patricia Sto. Thomas telling him to do so.
There were around 60 workers who are also members of the Super 5 Transport Workers Union (Stewu) who still managed to stage a rally yesterday morning.
Stewu is an affiliate of the huge Association of Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP).
Some of their placards read: "SSS Premiums pasmo-pasmo palit krudo." "Sige trabaho walay benepisyo. Sobra 8-hours ang tarbaho walay overtime pay." "CBA sa 2001-2005 wala ihatag."
But several Super 5 Transport officials denied allegations hurled by Stewu-ALU-TUCP saying there is a force behind the union that will make sure that the Super 5 Transport be eliminated from the stiff provincial bus routes competition.
Stewu-ALU-TUCP chairman Jimmy Pondoc yesterday said the provincial bus company Super 5 Transport, Inc. has so far failed to deliver the proper benefits it should have to its workers.
Commissions
He even presented a Dole 10 Notice of Inspection Results that contained no less than six violations that Super 5 Transport, Inc. has committed.
Dole 10 labor inspectors Roselito Rosales and Remegio Cabañog along with Super 5 Transport representative and personnel manager Etta Duhaylungsod signed the inspection result document dated October 6 this year.
The violations include underpayment of wages of some daily paid workers, non-payment of five days service incentive leave pay, non-payment of overtime premium pay, non-payment of overtime pay of line inspectors, underpayment of 13th month pay of some workers.
"Drivers and conductors are paid based on per trip and the amount varies depending on areas. Some of them are given commissions based on trips made plus P25/day meal allowance," the inspection results document reads.
The same paper also showed how the Dole 10 interviewed some workers and gathered that drivers are asked by management to assist mechanics in repairing their units without compensation and some PhilHealth covered workers have no Identification Cards yet.
Also, it contained how there were some "Occupational Safety and Health Standards" that Super 5 Transport committed.
This include how there was "no personal protective equipment specially shoes, gloves, etc. for shop personnel, no raincoats for gasmen and roofless shop."
"Until now they have not actually made any serious effort to comply with labor standards and health and occupation safety laws," Pondoc said.
Hard-headed
But two Super 5 Transport officers who requested anonymity told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that these union workers who are staging a rally are those who do not know how to understand the situation of the company.
They said some of these union workers have "bad records" with the company.
"Mangagahi sab kini sila ug ulo dili makasabot sa sitwasyon karon (These workers are hard headed and they do not understand the situation nowadays)," one said.
Both also believe that there is a "force" behind Stewu-ALU-TUCP's rally.
"Naay gapaluyo anang ilang rally nga gusto nila mawala ang Super 5 aron masulo nalang ang tanan ruota (There is a force behind this rally because they want to eliminate Super 5 and monopolize all the routes)," another said.
But Fr. Jose Ares, who organized Stewu-ALU-TUCP, debunked such allegations saying these union workers have been with Super 5 Transport for at least five to 30 years.
"Kung tinuod pa kana dili sila moabot anang lima or 30 ka tuig (Because if these allegations were true then these workers would not last up to five or up to 30 years)," he said.
Ares said the hard-headedness referred to by these Super 5 officials is on how Stewu-ALU-TUCP union workers have so far refused to sign a waiver and quitclaim to that of the CBA that has not been implemented since 2001.
Because of this, he said Super 5 Transport management has ordered that a number of Stewu-ALU-TUCP workers who stood up for their rights be grounded from driving buses.
"Badlungon ba diay kung ang empleyado nakigbisog lang sa iyang katungod sa insaktong suhulan, 13th month pay, SSS, Pag-ibig ug walay PhilHeath nga ID ug uban pa? (Is it being hard headed when the workers are just fighting for their rights to proper salaries and wages, 13th month pay, SSS and Pag-ibig insurance benefits and PhilHealth Identification cards among others?)," he said.
Meanwhile, Emano over dxIF Bombo Radyo said Thursday morning that he received an order from Sto. Thomas late Wednesday afternoon to not grant them any permit.
But ALU-TUCP Nick Borja said though Sto. Thomas has issued an assumption order on the Super 5 labor dispute still it is their right to stage a rally.
"Besides this is not a strike we are holding but only a peaceful rally demonstration," he said.
Pondoc for their part showed this reporter a copy of their permit to rally adding that they did not receive any recall order from Emano's office.
(November 11, 2005 issue)
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