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Monday, January 16, 2006
Labor dep’t orders bus firm to pay workers
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
THE regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Northern Mindanao has recently issued an "Order to Pay" against a provincial bus company here whom the agency found to have violated some labor standards laws.
Dole inspection records that Super 5 Transport has committed violations including 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 a day meal allowance," the inspection results document reads.
The same document also showed how the department 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."
Likewise, it contained how there were some "Occupational Safety and Health Standards" that Super 5 Transport committed, which includes how there was "no personal protective equipment specially shoes, gloves, etc. for shop personnel, no raincoats for gasmen and roofless shop."
DoLE Notice of Inspection Results were signed by the department's labor inspectors Roselito Rosales and Remegio Cabañog along with Super 5 Transport representative and personnel manager Etta Duhaylungsod last year.
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro failed to contact representatives from Super 5 Transport Sunday but sources said the provincial bus company is willing to comply with all labor laws and orders from Dole to settle any dispute.
Jimmy Pondoc, chairman of Super 5 Transport Workers Union (STEWU) said they have yet to receive a copy of this "Order to Pay" from Dole.
"I am here in the countryside so perhaps I have not yet receive the copy but I am glad that Dole is taking action on our complaints," he said.
STEWU is an affiliate of the huge Association of Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP).
STEWU-ALU-TUCP is asking Dole to act on how Super 5 Transport has so far failed to give them the benefits stipulated in their Collective Bargaining Agreement since 2001 and that it is into union busting among violations of the labor laws.
(January 16, 2006 issue)
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