MANILA — Lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives on Wednesday filed a resolution that seeks a congressional probe on the alleged mass lay-off of thousands of workers of telecommunications firm Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).
House Resolution 2013 also calls for the regularization of more than 7,000 PLDT workers in line with the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) compliance order.
The department’s order to regularize a total of 7,306 outsourced workers is “automatic and is not subject to any condition or requirement.”
The Makabayan bloc cited that PLDT came third in the list of Philippine companies with the highest number of labor-only contracting workers, after Jollibee Foods Corp. and Dole Philippines. Inc.
The group alleged that more than 10,000 PLDT contractual workers nationwide were removed following the firm’s termination of service contracts with various agencies on June 30.
“The mass layoff led to (a) series of protests and campaign for regularization of PLDT contractual workers,” the group said in the resolution.
The lawmakers said the PLDT Organization of Workers and Employees for Rights (POWER) has intensified its call to the PLDT management for the immediate implementation of the DOLE compliance order to regularize the workers as “they were left jobless” and have “nothing to feed and provide their families.”
“It is now imperative for the House of Representatives to take an active role in mounting pressure for the PLDT to implement DOLE’s regularization order, uphold the workers’ rights, and investigate the labor rights violations experienced by the workers,” the House bloc said.
The members of the Makabayan bloc are Gabriela Reps. Arlene Brosas and Emmi de Jesus, ACT Teacher Reps. Antonio Tinio and France Castro, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)
