200 terminated call center agents in Cebu

PRESS RELEASE
21 February 2013

CEBU — The BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN), a broad network of contact center professionals and employees from the country’s sunshine industry, expresses its concern for and support to the more than 200 call center agents of Cordia-Philippines who were illegally terminated.

According to a news item, 23 out of the more than 200 employees of Cordia-Philippines, a Cebu-based BPO company, filed charges before the National Labor Relations Commission against their former employer for alleged illegal closure, non-payment of salaries and non-remittance of their mandated benefits.

The management has at least P15 million up to P20 million in payables to the terminated employees.

We are calling the government’s attention to the problems of the industry’s employees.

It is apparent that even the so-called country’s sunshine industry is not spared from fly-by-night companies, which obviously include Cordia-Philippines. What happened to our fellow BPO workers in Cordia-Philippines is not the first.

The case of the employees of Cordia-Philippines clearly shows that BPO employees, like migrant workers who keep the country’s economy afloat, are also prone to violations of their labor rights.

We are concerned that the Department of Labor and Employment and other concerned government agencies have failed to monitor the operations of Cordia-Philippines. We raise the question: Is the DOLE monitoring BPO companies so as to weed out fly-by-night ones like Cordia-Philippines?

We are concerned that PhilHealth and Social Security System have failed to track down the non-remittal of Cordia-Philippines of its employees’ premiums, leaving employees feeling like they were robbed. Are PhilHealth and SSS monitoring other companies’ remittance of employees’ premiums?

We call on the NLRC to immediately act upon the issue of Cordia-Philippines’ employees and grant what’s due to them and penalize the company.

We call on the Aquino government to look into the plight of BPO workers and impose pro-worker standards and regulations in the industry.

We call on our fellow BPO workers, let our voices be heard! Let us unite in asking the government to institute reforms for our welfare. Join BIEN!

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BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN)
Website: www.bienphilippines.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/BIENPilipinas