A band of workers came in full force at the NCMB Regional Branch No. 1 on July 31, 2013 to seek assistance regarding their employment issues.

 

“I commend the full and extended effort during noon break of SEADO Corpuz in handling the cases for the sake of their settlement,” NCMB RB1 OIC Director Helena R, Flores said.

 

Ten workers of a gasoline station in the City of San Fernando City, La Union filed their request for assistance regarding several issues. They complained for unpaid wages and overtime pays and for no-rest day and claimed for their service incentive leave benefit.

 

In the morning of August 5, 2013, the workers met with management representatives to tackle their issues. The latter contended that not all their allegations are true.

 

“Management said that nobody rendered overtime services because they have an eight-hour regular shift schedule,” SEADO Felicidad Corpuz said who handled the RFA. “They also said that the issue on no rest day is of no significance because each supposed rest day that they worked was on their own accord and was not in any way forced upon them for wanting to have additional income,” Corpuz added.

 

Nevertheless, wanting to expedite the process so they could move on to clearing pressing issues affecting the business, the management agreed to release unpaid wages of the workers along with their service incentive leave benefits. Part of the agreement includes that those who have rendered at least one year of service will be the only ones given separation pay. Four of the ten workers were qualified.

 

On August 15, 2013, the workers received their benefits amounting to P40, 297.28 to cover unpaid wages and respective separation pays as agreed upon.

 

Meanwhile, two female workers in a cooperative here in the city came to file their RFA on August 1, 2013. They wanted their 13th month pay to be given to them.

 

The scheduled conference on the 7th of the month was moved to the 15th due to pressing circumstances of the management representative. “During the period prior to the conference, coordination had already been done with the cooperative’s main office regarding the issue of its two employees,” SEADO Corpuz said. “All that was needed to be done during the conference was to inform the complainants about the payment of their 13th month pay,” she added.

 

One of them received P6, 558.56. Unfortunately, the other is supposed to receive her share but due to her unaccounted discrepancies, the amount is not even enough to cover for the deficit.

 

 

(Lester B. Panem)