Workers get P81 million in benefits from company

Some 957 workers from Century Canning Corp. (CCC) in Taguig, Metro Manila, received P81 million in separation and other benefits, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) revealed the other day.

The CCC is the maker of the famous Century Tuna canned products.

DOLE National Region Director Alex Maraan, in his report to Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, said his office facilitated the series of consultative meetings between the CCC management and the workers’ union that resulted in a mutually acceptable separation package.

The package consisted of separation pay equivalent to 26 days for every year of service, the 13th month pay in full, and monetary equivalent for all earned and unused leave credits in 2001, all of which were tax-free and computed at the basic daily rates as of Oct. 13, 2001.

Each worker also received a sack of rice and 35 dented tins of tuna. The management agreed to condone the payment of rice loans, which the workers availed of during the previous company shutdown.

Maraan said that through the intervention of the DOLE-NCR’s Quick Reaction Team, flexible measures were also explored to assist the CCC workers who would be displaced with the firm’s closure.

He also disclosed about 833 of the CCC’s total workforce were members of the Nagkakaisang Mangagawa sa Century Canning, an affiliate of the Anglo-Kilusang Mayor Uno (KMU).

The CCC opted recently to cease operation and close business rather than comply with the Bureau of Food and Drug’s Aug. 10, 2001 notice recommending a complete plant renovation after various violations were found in its operation. It filed a notice, of closure with the DOLE-NCR effective Oct. 13, 2001.

Ernesto Gochaico, CCC management representative, said the proposed renovation would cost the firmP35 million and increase further the losses CCC had already incurred due to the tuna downtrend and poor economic environment.

In a related development, the DOLE-NCR assisted three security guards of the Preventor Detective and Security Agency (PDSA) in claiming a total of P83,880.75 in wage differentials and other benefits due them.

Bienvenido Luba, Romeo Luba and Muhammad Piansa, who were assigned at the Statistical Research and Training Center (SRTC) since 1999, each received P27,960.25 in settling the complaint they filed against their employer for underpayment of wages.

Maraan said an inspection team found other violations by the PDSA, such as underpayment of holiday pay and premium pay for work performed during rest days and special days; non-payment of 13th month and five-day incentive leave pay; non-remittance of SSS and Pag-IBIG contributions; and non-availability of employment records.

He said that the new security agency which won the bidding at the SRTC agreed to the request of Executive Director Gervacio Selda Jr., to take in the three guards as their employees after they signed a "quit claim and release" at the DOLE-NCR. – Sandy Araneta