A LOCAL labor group said the Social Security System (SSS) still needs to step up its operations against “contribution evaders” in Negros Occidental, or those employers preventing workers from availing services from the agency.
On August 16, top officials of SSS central office issued show cause orders to 11 employers in the province, mostly in Bacolod City, for not complying with the mandatory provisions of the Social Security Act, mainly non-remittance of contributions and non-registration of businesses with the agency.
Seven employers have an accumulated delinquency of almost P2.3 million, while the other four account for a total of about P72,000 worth of unremitted contributions.
Wennie Sancho, secretary-general of the General Alliance of Workers Associations (Gawa), told SunStar Bacolod Monday, August 20, that the operation conducted by the SSS is commendable, however, more should be done especially among manpower agencies and security guards.
Sancho said inspections should also be conducted among “kasambahays” or domestic workers to find out how many of them are registered with the SSS.
“Those employers who failed to remit the membership payment of their employees should be prosecuted,” he said, adding that “we have yet to see an employer convicted of estafa.”
The issuance of show cause orders is part of the agency’s national campaign dubbed Run After Contribution Evaders (Race).
It complements the SSS’ intensification campaign on promoting collection and coverage.
Since its launching last year, the campaign was already conducted in Quezon City, and provinces of Batangas, Pangasinan and Palawan.
Prior to Negros Occidental, the SSS also visited the cities of Davao and General Santos.
In the province, among the establishments receiving the notice were Habagat Security Services, Fit and Relax Fitness Gym and Spa, Gerald's Restobar, R.E.D. Digital Photography, Hong Department Store, and Miracle Taxi in Bacolod City, and Red Aeronautics and Technological School in Silay City, all for non-payment of contributions.
Others were Aasanie, Sabai-Rak Salon and Spa, Two Pans Cafe, and Aidalicious Inasal and Resto, which failed to comply with their SSS business registration.
For Sancho, the result of the operation “is merely a drop of water from the bucket.”
“They should also include the workers in the sugarcane fields and workers outside the city proper,” he added.
The SSS, earlier, they are serious in enforcing the law. Employers who fail to comply will face criminal charges.
Aside from paying the delinquency, they are subject to three percent per month penalty and possible imprisonment of six to 12 years, it said.
The agency also said that is set to enforce its power to issue a warrant of garnishment to erring employers.
Through this, the SSS can go directly to the bank of the employer and deduct immediately its delinquency.
For SSS-Bacolod branch alone, which covers the cities of Bacolod, Talisay, and Silay, the agency has yet to run after some 2,780 non-compliant employers.
In terms of the amount of the delinquencies, it was pegged at P50 million based on a theoretical assessment.
The number of non-compliant employers comprises 40 percent of the total employers they cover.
There are about 6,955 employers in the three cities under SSS-Bacolod branch.