THERE is a need for the business establishments to make money, thus, their operations remain normal during the actual day of elections today, May 14, a local business leader said.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), yesterday, May 13, said with many holidays in the Philippines, local businesses have to continue making money.
For today’s synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, which is a special non-working holiday, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has set payment rules.
Labor Advisory No. 8 Series of 2018, pursuant to Proclamation No. 479 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, provided that if an employee did not work, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply.
Unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement granting payment on a special day, it said.
For work done during the special day, the workers shall be paid an additional 30 percent of their daily rate on the first eight hours of work.
The advisory also provided that work is done in excess of eight hours, or overtime work, the workers will be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate.
Meanwhile, for work done during a special day that also falls on the workers’ rest day, they shall be paid an additional 50 percent of their daily rate on the first eight hours of work.
While those in excess of eight hours, they shall be paid an additional 30 percent of their hourly rate, it added.
Carbon said holidays are on top of high prices of products which also result in additional production cost among businesses thus, every peso they earn is needed to sustain their operations.
“With lots of business disruptions, we have to make money,” he said, adding that “we cannot afford not to operate, we need to recover our production cost.”
Despite today’s elections, businesses are expecting an influx of consumers.
In fact, the spending capacity of the buyers is high.
Carbon said there are also more opportunities for businesses to earn, especially in the service sector, as most people normally go to malls and restaurants and spend.
“Despite having business as usual, we are still allowing our employees to vote through one, implementing skeleton scheme,” he said, adding that “we need to have additional earnings even a little.”
Carbon, also a fastcraft operator, said fastcraft vessels at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) Port also have normal operations today.
“There are passengers from Bacolod City who will be voting in Iloilo City and vice versa thus, we need to cater to them,” he added.