SINCE its involvement in a fatal construction accident earlier this week, a controversial construction company is being investigated for allegedly committing numerous violations, particularly of safety standards.
But aside from violations of safety standards, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is also investigating allegations by surviving construction workers of CYC Construction that the company pays its workers below the minimum wage and does not provide mandated Social Security Systems (SSS) and Philhealth benefits.
Dole 7 Director Elias Cayanong said yesterday their investigation found that some construction workers in the Gaisano Capital site in Barangay Tisa, Cebu City were not provided safety gear or briefed on standard safety procedures.
Because of that, Cayanong ordered the construction of the Gaisano Capital mall suspended until CYC Construction can comply with standards issued by the labor department.
Cayanong said their investigation showed CYC Construction did not issue workers safety and protective equipment such as hard hats.
Aside from safety standards, Cayanong is also checking the allegations of some CYC Construction workers that they receive a daily pay of P195, which is below the P267 minimum wage mandated by government for Central Visayas.
He said some workers also complained that they did not receive required work benefits.
Cayanong said the company is required to shoulder the burial expenses of its workers who died in the accident. It is also mandated to provide funds for those who survived the accident.
But in a report by ABS-CBN TV Patrol Central Visayas yesterday, families of those who died said they have not been fully paid of the expenses, as promised by CYC Construction.
Antonita Delan and Flordelita Detonal said they were not yet paid full for the burial of their loved ones.
Both women are relatives of fallen construction workers Deony, 30 and Christian Delan, 27; and Teodulfo Detonal, 25, respectively.
They said that instead of the P100,000 for burial expenses, they were only given P78,000.
Detonal was buried yesterday in his hometown of Carmen, while the Delan brothers will be buried within this week.
Despite repeated calls to company lawyer Ronnie Gocuan, Sun.Star Cebu wasn’t able to get the side of CYC Construction on the issue.