More than 600 workers from Negros Island Region were assisted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in claiming their monetary benefits amounting to P10 million pesos.
The request for assistance filed by the workers involve complaints on illegal dismissal, non-payment and underpayment of wages, non-payment of overtime, holiday, night shift differential, 13th month and separation pays, non-coverage to social protection benefits such as SSS, Philhealth, and Pag-IBIG; and unauthorized cash bond deductions.
DOLE-NIR Director Exequiel Sarcauga said that the monetary benefits were the result of the efforts of the Single Entry Approach Desk Officers (SEADOs) in resolving 283 of the 339 Requests for Assistance (RFA) handled by the Region from January to June 2017, or equivalent to 83 percent settlement rate.
He added that the total amount of settlement is Php 10,188,745.03, benefitting 682 workers from different establishments across industries in Negros. The average duration of settlement of the 283 RFAs is nine days.
Sarcauga further said that conciliation-mediation is the procedure used in SEnA in order to facilitate and reach an amicable settlement between parties involved.
“I am happy to note that our SEADOs are doing their jobs excellently as evidenced by the performance of NIR in SEnA. The workers can be assured that DOLE will always be available to help them address their various concerns in labor and employment,” Sarcauga said.
SENA is DOLE’s administrative approach that provides a fast, inexpensive and accessible settlement process of labor issues within a 30-day period or before they mature into full blown disputes. | DOLE-PR
