‘No 13th month pay’ pinalagan ng ALU

TUTOL ang Associated Labor Unions (ALU) sa panukala ng mga employer at ng Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) na ipagpaliban ang pagbibigay ng 13^th month pay ng mga manggagawa ngayong taon.

“The 13th month pay benefit at this time of the year have already been earned and accrued by employees. Therefore, 13th month payment cannot be waived or taken away by giving exemption to employers or deferment of payment,” ayon kay ALU National Executive Vice President Gerard Seno.

“13th month payment benefit, just like minimum wage, is a basic labor standard that cannot be waived or deferred,” dagdag pa nito.

“Also, workers have sacrificed so much during since the pandemic began up to the present. Many employees’ working hours have been significantly reduced and subjected to job rotation. Some were made to adjust to the rigorous work from home scheme and their wages substantially cut and benefits reduced. Many were put on floating and furlough status without pay and remain in waiting for return to work notice from employers. Scores were even have to spend for themselves their COVID19 test and have been spending more on transporation fares for the absence of company-shuttle in reporting for work,” wika pa niya.

Giit pa niya, na nabigyan ng pamahalaan ang Small Business Wage Subsidy cash assistance ang mga employer at business-owners partikular na ang mga micro, small at medium enterprises sa panahon ng pandemya at marami pang matatanggap na cash assistance mula sa gobyerno upang tulungan ang maliliit na negosyo sa pandemic crisis.

Nanagawan ang ALU sa mga employer at business owners na irespeto at sundin ang kanilang obligasyon upang bayaran ang 13^th month pay ng kanilang mga manggagawa sa tamang oras. Hinihimok din ng naturang grupo ang DOLE na tiyakin na susunod ang mga employer at mga negosyo sa mga probisyon ng Thirteenth Month Pay Law o ang Presidential Decree 851.

“We are calling on the employers and business-owners to take a hard look not only on their business but also at the plight of their employees who are also hard pressed. We urge them not to forgo payment of the 13th month pay of their employees,” panawagan ni Seno.

“We also direct our appeal to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to not tinker with the 13th month pay law. Giving exemptions and deferring payment of such would make working people suffer further,” dagdag pa nito.

Ayon sa batas, lahat ng establisimyento ay dapat bayaran ang kanilang mga karaniwang tauhan (rank-and-file employees) ng 13th month pay, kahit ilan pa ang mga ito.