BY LESLIE ANN AQUINO
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The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Tuesday said ABS CBN should compensate their employees should termination, reduction, or displacement of workforce becomes unavoidable due to the non-renewal of their franchise.
In a statement, DoLE Undersecretary Ana Dione said the network is legally bound to pay separation benefits to those who will be retrenched or terminated.
“We have taken note of the assertions by network executives that the plight and welfare of their thousands of workers was a primary reason why the ABS-CBN franchise has to be granted by Congress,” she said.
“If they truly care for their workers, then the network is morally bound to give them all pays and emoluments that the law provides,” added Dione.
She said labor laws mandate a company that reduces its workforce or has ceased operations to provide its employees with severance pays or similar emoluments.
“The employees should therefore be assured that they are getting separation benefits, and start anew,” said Dione.
On July 10, the House Committee on Legislative Franchises adopted the recommendation of its technical working group to reject the bills seeking to grant ABS CBN a new franchise in a vote of 70-11.
