January-November violations: DOLE orders Central Visayas employers to pay P400M to workers

CEBU, Philippines - A number of employers in Central Visayas were made to pay their workers a total of over P400 million from January to November this year.

In a statement, Department of Labor and Employment-7 acting regional director Exequiel Sarcauga said they handled 1,500 Requests for Assistance through its Single Entry Approach (SEnA) program within the period and expected the figures to increase by the end of the year.

For 11 months, a number of employers were made to pay a total of P400,818,660.00 to 3,360 workers. For the month of November alone, DOLE-7 awarded a total of P 67,761,391.92 in monetary benefits to 331 workers through its SEnA program.

 “The RFAs filed were commonly on unfair labor practices, claims for money, issues arising from other labor and related issuances, among others,” said Sarcauga.

Instrumental to the regional office’s monthly SEnA accomplishment is the contribution from its field offices and divisions: Bohol Field Office, Cebu Provincial Field Office, Negros Oriental Field Office, Siquijor Field Office, Tri-City Field Office and the Technical Services and Support Division-Labor Relations and Standards.

Sarcauga added that the SEnA performance is expected to improve once the DOLE’s attached agencies offering SEnA services are done with their report. 

These agencies include the National Conciliation and Mediation Board-7 Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-7, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration-7, National Labor Relations Commission-Regional Arbitration Branch-7 and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-7.

Sarcauga said that they advocate for the SEnA program because it is an approach which provides for a speedy, impartial, inexpensive, and accessible settlement procedure for all issues and complaints arising from employee-employer relations preventing them from escalating into full blown disputes.

Sarcauga likewise encouraged any aggrieved worker, union, group of workers or employers to go to the nearest office or agency offering SEnA services and file request for assistance should they have complaints.

Stressing on the benefits of conciliation-mediation under SEnA, Sarcauga said that it provides non-litigious, non-adversarial, and expeditious settlement of complaints. 

Under the setup, he added, the parties find it more expedient to fully ventilate their respective positions without the need of a legal counsel and technicalities.   In line with its principle of providing inexpensive settlement services, Sarcauga said technology has been utilized by the Single Entry Approach Desk Officers (SEADOs) in terms of conducting conferences. 

The use of Skype and other networking sites has also made possible the dialogue between parties when their time does not permit them to appear in the DOLE office or attached agency.  — (FREEMAN)