MANILA — Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Friday said he will be meeting with officials of Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) on Saturday (September 1) to discuss the regularization of 50 percent of the 7,344 workers.
“Probably compromise agreement, una nila i-regularize 50 percent, haggle pa ako na baka pwede 60 percent. Pero importante nandun ang(they regularize 50 percent, I’ll haggle if it can be 60 percent. But what’s important is the) regularization plan,” he said in a press briefing.
When asked if the regularization of more than 3,000 workers will happen this year, Bello said he has no details on that yet.
The DOLE chief noted that in case both parties would agree on the regularization plan, they might have a mutual withdrawal of cases.
“If magkasundo sa regularization plan, baka magkaroon ng mutual withdrawal of our case. In other words, amicably settled na case. That is if mag-agree tomorrow (If we agree on the regularization plan, there might be a mutual withdrawal of our case. In other words, an amicably settled case. That is if we reached an agreement tomorrow),” Bello said.
“Wala pa details on the employees. Yung 50 percent very substantial compliance (There are no details yet on the employees. The 50 percent is very subtantial compliance),” he added.
The labor case between the DOLE and PLDT is pending before the Court of Appeals in connection with the former’s order to regularize 7,344 workers last April.
Meanwhile, Bello lauded Dole Philippines, Inc., a fruit manufacturing company based in Mindanao, for signing the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Hiring Commitment where a total of 4,765 workers will be regularized.
The MOA was signed last week in Polomolok, South Cotabato where the firm will directly hire 4,173 workers in Polomolok cannery and 592 in Upper Valley operations not later than one year from signing date.
The Dole Phils. had already regularized 1,962 workers in response to DOLE’s compliance order. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
