Friday, December 08, 2006 Firms opt to tolerate tardy, absent workers
DESPITE the inconvenience that will be caused by road closures during the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit next week, it will be business as usual for the private sector, especially among exporters in Cebu.
Exporters, however, have adjusted company rules on attendance and tardiness in consideration of the employees, who will be affected by the closure of some roads due to the activities of the four-day summit, said Jenefer Cruz, president of the Cebu-GTH (gifts, toys and housewares) Manufacturers and Exporters.
He told Sun.Star Cebu that his company, 33 Point 3, will implement flexible work schedule and will provide shuttle service for employees.
Eric Mendoza, president of Mendco Development Corp., said his company will allow “tolerable tardiness” and justified absences of non-critical employees.
Mendco will also consider make-up or overtime work , if needed, by employees.
The skeletal force or those important for operations, however, will be given the option to stay within the company’s compound, Mendoza said.
“They will be provided with proper but simple basic amenities,” he said in a separate interview.
Mendoza said the company’s management will determine who among the employees can stay within the compound.
Mandaue-based seaweed processing company Shemberg Marketing Corp. (SMC) has also offered all its employees the option to sleep at the manufacturing plant.
Basics
“We will provide them with the basic necessities,” SMC president Benson Dakay said in another interview.
33 Point 3, on the other hand, has opted to suspend operations on Monday, the first day of the Asean Summit, said Cruz.
This is the company’s contribution to help lessen chaos and the number of people on the road during the summit’s launch, he said.
“Since this is the first day of the summit, we expect chaos on the road, as people would not know yet what roads will be opened or closed and on what time. This would also lessen the inconvenience on my workers,” he said.
“We have no option but to (make the necessary adjustments) and fully support the success of Cebu’s hosting of the Asean,” Mendoza said.
The export sector in Cebu was the first to complain when President Arroyo declared Dec. 11 to 14 a week-long holiday to discourage people from coming to the areas affected by the summit.
Exporters claimed that they have orders and deliveries to comply with and that they could not expect their clients to accept Cebu’s holding of the Asean summit as the reason for any delay.
Areas that will be most affected by the summit are the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. Since several roads, main route of summit activities, will be closed at certain times next week, it would be difficult for people get to one place in the three cities. (JBN)
