TEN retrenched employees of GMA 7-Cebu filed a complaint against their former employers before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) on Tuesday, July 7.
Retrenched TV reporters, cameramen and editors lodged a case of illegal retrenchment against lawyer Felipe Gozon, GMA 7 chief executive officer; Ann Marie Tan, GMA 7-Cebu station manager; and Suzanne Salva-Alueta, GMA 7-Cebu news and public affairs program manager.
Jun Veliganio, one of the retrenched employees and a veteran broadcast journalist, said they filed a complaint Tuesday to raise some questions regarding their retrenchment before the NLRC.
Veliganio, who worked for GMA 7-Cebu for 16 years, said after they were retrenched last April, he and his fellow retrenched employees contemplated on filing a case against their former employers.
Issues that they raised include the alleged erroneous computation of their separation pay.
Basis
“Unsa may basis sa ilang pag-compute sa among separation pay? Naay mga kauban namo nga na-retrench nga pareha ra mi og length of service pero dili pareha ang among separation pay (Some of us have received different amounts although we spent the same number of years in the company),” Veliganio said.
They also questioned the regularization of casual, contractual and probationary employees who were retrenched.
Veliganio said they want the NLRC to interpret GMA 7’s alleged failure to explain why they were retrenched.
Performance
“Giingnan mi nga redundancy ang rason nganong na-retrench mi. Pero wala man mi gihatagan og klaro nga basehan sa among pag-retrench. Kon gibase lang sa among performance, puros man mi nakapasar sa evaluation. Bisan og mahagbong, mo-serve unta sila og warning nga kailangan mi mo-improve, dili nga idiretso mi og sesante (They said our positions were redundant, but they were not clear on that. We also passed our performance evaluation. Even if we failed, they should have given us a warning),” he said.
Severance pay
Last April 25, some employees from GMA 7’s Cebu station lost their jobs and were given severance packages as part of the broadcasting company’s streamlining of programs and personnel.
In Cebu, Veliganio and fellow reporters Gregy Magdadaro, Bexmae Jumao-as, Jess Campos, Mark Bautista, assistant producer Randy Gorion and cameramen Joel Bajenting, Aaron Blanco, Joel Bajenting and Bruce Labastida were retrenched by the television network.