Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Police bars protest of dismissed Skyway employees
AUTHORITIES on Monday thwarted a protest action staged by sacked employees of the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC) Skyway Corporation pressing for their reinstatement.
The striking employees, members of the PNCC Skyway Employees Union, were stopped short of their plan to march from the Bicutan exit to Nichols Toll Plaza with the authorities saying it would cause traffic problems in the area.
Jose Apollo Ado, PNCC employees union president said the presence of policemen sent by Southern Police District (SPD) director Luizo Ticman "forced" them to cancel their march and instead proceed to the office of the Citra Tollways Corporation, one of the partner of Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation (ONM), the new operator of the skyway, where they were allowed to hold a 15-minute program.
The protesters, numbering close to a hundred, started massing in the area at 7 a.m. Monday. They were accompanied by Akbayan party-list Representative Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel and members of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Alliance of Progressive Labor and the Koalisyon Kontra Kontrakuwalisasyon.
ONM's takeover of the tollway from the PNCC last January 1 resulted to a rash of strikes conducted by the affected employees numbering more than 800 protesting what they said is an "illegal dismissal."
"The PNCC management saved their own heads while they consigned us and our families to uncertain future. They continue to illegally lock us out and render the return-to-work order issued by Labor Secretary Arturo Brion inutile," Ado said.
They also belied claims by the new Skyway management that union members already received "generous" separation pay and benefits.
Ado said the generous package were only for the managers and high-level officials. He said rank-and-file employees such as tellers, guards and maintenance personnel could only get up to P300,000.
Last Wednesday, Brion ordered an investigation into the alleged illegal dismissal of the more than 800 employees.
Brion directed the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) to investigate alleged violations committed over the termination of the PNCC workers, as a result of the turnover of Skyway operations to Indonesian-owned Citra.
Initial verification made by the NCMB showed that PNCC employees were given notice of termination prior to the scheduled January 1 takeover by the new management.
PNCC Skyway Corporation president and chief executive officer Willy Cu belied the workers claim that they were not informed of the impending takeover of the Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporations whose investors include Indonesian-owned Citra Corporation as early as July last year.
"They have known it for long. We're telling them to re-apply or just accept the separation benefits that we will give to them. In fact, they remain in the payroll until January 31," he said.
A total of 682 regular employees and 200 casual workers were affected by the takeover.
Cu also said the affected employees were given generous package amounting to 250 percent of their salary per year of service.
He said this was far from the 75 to 150 percent mandated by labor laws in the country.
On the other hand, Chito Borromeo, officer-in-charge of the ONM appealed to the striking workers to apply with them instead of holding protest actions.
He said they have already re-hired more than 300 former employees of the PNCC-Skyway Corp. who chose to re-apply.
"The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) ordered us to have a hundred percent workforce for us to fully operate the Skyway that's why we've been telling them to re-apply," he explained.
He said they would prioritize the re-hiring of employees of the previous Skyway operator since they have the required skills in such operation. (AH/Sunnex)
