Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume IV, Number 13 May 2 - 8, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
LABOR WATCH Gov’t-Controlled Media Workers: Underpaid, HarassedMost
people see Korina Sanchez and think that all journalists, whether in broadcast,
print or online publications, enjoy high salaries and lead glamorous lives. The
truth is, media workers – from reporters to encoders and technicians – face
the same issues of job insecurity, low wages and deplorable working conditions.
Of particular concern are the media workers in government-owned and sequestered
media corporations. BY
ROWENA CARRANZA
|
Unpaid
benefits and compensations |
Period
covered |
Approximate
amount |
Productivity
Incentive bonus |
2002 |
812,000.00 |
Overtime pay |
2002 |
1,874,580.65 |
Mid-year bonus |
2001-03 |
18,000,000.00 |
Loyalty pay |
2002 |
160,000.00 |
Rice subsidy |
2002 |
4,952,000.00 |
TOTAL |
|
25,798,580.65 |
It also charged the management of non-remittance of employees’ payments to the Government Service Insurance System Inc. (GSIS), the Union and cooperative funds, Pag-ibig, PhilHealth and even the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
|
Period
covered
|
Unremitted
premiums/loan payments/dues |
GSIS |
July 2002 – Feb. 2004 |
41,569,445.53 |
BIR |
April 2003 – Feb. 2004 |
13,827,465.72 |
PhilHealth |
July 2003 – February 2004 |
814,125.00 |
Pag-ibig |
July 2003 – Feb. 2004 |
1,847,165.92 |
PTV cooperative |
2002 and 2003 |
782,170.09 |
PTEA Union dues |
Nov.-Dec. 2002 |
319,676.00 |
TOTAL |
|
59,160,039.26 |
Banda also said that for the April 15 workers’ salaries, the management had to borrow money from the cooperative. It was done, he said, without permission from the cooperative.
Meanwhile, Alberto Cabreza Sr., had worked in the People’s Television Network, Inc., a government-owned network, for 27 years. When he retired in February last year, he got only P20,000 of his P348,000 retirement pay – in installment at that (P10,000 in April and P10,000 in October). In an interview with Bulatlat.com, Cabreza noted how retirees like him have difficulty in getting the retirement pay due them.
He
cited as example the case of another NBN employee, Liberato Policarpio, who died
without receiving a cent of his retirement pay.
Both
the Journal and NBN employees have filed cases against their respective
managements.
The
NBN management, led by appointee Mia Aquino Concio who serves as network
chairperson and president, has already been indicted by the Ombudsman for
violation of RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards.
In
its response, Concio and the other officials called the complaint “false,
malicious and unfounded.” They
said that the PTNI was already debt-ridden when they assumed office. They also
claimed that the complaint is “pure harassment, ” intended to force the
board of directors to agree to “unconscionable demands for wage discussions”
in the ongoing CNA negotiations.
Journal
management on the other hand have had to face several separate cases filed by
terminated employees with the Department of Labor and Employment as well as a
case pending in the Supreme Court.
It
is noticeable how the two have now resorted to extra-legal means in order to
highlight their issues. PTEU members have picketed the station office whenever a
Malacañang official would guest in any of the NBN show.
Its
officers have also dialogued with Press Secretary Milton Alingod in order to
bring their case to the president’s attention and with the hope of having
Concio ousted from the network’s management.
The
JEU on the other hand has, aside from the usual lunchtime pickets, engaged in
protest runs such as on April 15. It has even coined the politically loaded
slogans “Junk GMA (Gross Mismanagement and Abuse)!” and “Run FPJ (Free the
People’s Journal)!”
Both
JEU and PTEU question the competency of the appointed officials of their
respective management.
Banda
for example charges that Concio has no background at all in broadcasting, that
many of the jobs she handled in the past were failures. He also said that the
network’s charter does not provide for a president.
“While
the workers failed to get their salaries last April 15, Concio got her salary
check of P90,000,” complained Banda. He said they got theirs in the evening of
April 16.
He
also added that the station’s contractual employees who are categorized as
“talents” only recently received their fees after a delay of seven months.
Said an employee who dared to ask Concio how come she received her paycheck on time while the rest of them were still waiting: “Kakaramput na nga lang ng sweldo namin di pa namin makuha sa oras. Sana maintindihan nila ang kalagayan namin na napakahirap kapag di dumating sa takdang oras ang sahod.” Bulatlat.com
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