UNIVERSAL Robina Corp. on Tuesday said it has paid a P100,000 fine imposed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) after a worker died at its plant in Barangay Tabok, Mandaue City.
In a disclosure to the stock exchange, URC said DOLE had issued an order for its Tabok plant to cease and desist from operating the machine in question pending the submission of requirements.
“We regretfully confirm that there has been a death of one of our third-party workers due to an incident at the workplace, and that, on June 7, 2022, DOLE Region 7 imposed a penalty of P100,000,” the Gokongwei-led firm said.
“URC has already paid the penalty and submitted the requirements to DOLE last June 10, 2022. We are now awaiting DOLE’s action on this matter,” it added.
The worker, Stephen Corilla, was cleaning a pulverizing machine when it “accidentally turned on” while he was still inside it, leading to his death.
The operation of URC’s sugar pulverizer machine has also been suspended after labor inspectors discovered that there was a defect in its safety device.
URC’s brands include Jack N’ Jill products, Nissin Cup Noodles, Calbee, and Vitasoy, among others.