MEMBERS of Apo Cement's Employees Union are planning to file a complaint against their employer following the latter’s announcement of temporarily laying off some of their workers due to production woes.
Johnrel Goles, president of the Apo Cement Corporation Employees Union (ACCEU), told SunStar Cebu that the plan of their employer to temporarily lay off around 100 regular employees and 300 contractual workers had shocked them all, especially that the lay-offs are expected to take place just before Christmas.
He admitted they were caught off guard, saying “Nakuratan nalang mi nga mao na ilang announcement. Timing pa gyud nga hapit na Pasko ug New Year.”
Chito Maniago, APO Cement spokesperson, said the company will start conducting the lay-offs on December 13 or a month after they announced the lay-offs.
Goles said majority of those being laid off were assigned in the production, packing and warehousing aspect of the company.
Some newly-hired workers were also affected by the lay-offs, Goles added.
Goles said that he and officials of ACCEU vowed to file a complaint against APO Cement should they proceed with the lay-offs.
But Goles said they are still open to negotiating with the management in ensuring that their employees will no longer be laid-off.
Earlier today, APO Cement officials announced they were temporarily laying off 30 percent of their regular employees and 40 percent of their contractual workers after their raw materials supplier, Apo Land and Quarry Corporation, has been suspended for almost two months following the deadly landslide that happened in Barangay Tina-an, City of Naga in Southern Cebu.
More than 70 people died during the landslide. (JKV)