By MARYA SALAMAT
(Bulatlat.com)
MANILA — Broadcasting giant ABS-CBN has fired more workers from its so-called “Internal Job Market,” leaders of the workers’ union said Thursday. The number of dismissed workers of ABS-CBN IJM now total 32, up from the 25 since the last firing.
The union held another picket this afternoon in front of ABS-CBN headquarters. According to the picketing workers, they are protesting the continuing dismissal of employees active in forming a union. According to Alain Cadag, vice-president of union of ABS-CBN IJM employees, more workers are denied access to the company’s compound although they have not been dismissed.
The new dismissals are viewed as the ABS-CBN’s “penalty” for employees who continue to support the picket-protest of dismissed fellow unionists. It also came in the wake of the employees’ refusal to sign an agreement with the Lopez-owned company’s offer of contractualization. ABS-CBN does not recognize the union.
This offer, said Cadag, replaces the previous “bogus regularization” which was spurned by members of the nascent union and which led to the first two waves of dismissals in the past two weeks.
The new offer of “long-term contractualization” still denies the employees regular status. (Photos courtesy of ABS-CBN IJM Workers Union /Bulatlat.com)
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As for my opinion about this issue, I believe that laying off employees “just like that” may seem a very unethical way of resolving such situation (I have read some articles, still, I am not saying I know all the facts). But, let us look at both sides of the story. Employees want to be regularized and achieve job-security, of course, it may be in the first level of people’s hierarchy of needs. On the other hand, the management may just be devising new ways to cut down costs and increase efficiency in their operations, hence, increases profit for its businesses. Sadly, some employees were laid-off, while others have retained their job. Needless to say, corporations – “such as this”, are just plain capitalists, and at the end of the day, the inflow of cash, still, is the most important to the management. It seems the corporation is dodging the “bargaining” and “employer-employee” relationship quo with the union. Maybe, for the reason of, top-level management could have been revising its policies toward employees and job performance. Results are more important (asset performance, labor performance, etc…) to them, than being ethically responsible towards its employees. As for me, we should also consider that all issues have a right to undergo “Due-Process”.
Yes, employees may have worked so hard for the company and still they had been laid-off, but, come to think of it, as an employee, it is your responsibility to the corporation and to the economy in general.
Corporations are there to give jobs to people, all, in order to boost the economy’s GNP/GDP. If the corporation does not want to give in to your demands, well it also their right to fight against it, if should these demands may exude disadvantages and problems to the business.
Remember, corporations (especially as big as this) also think for themselves because they have a greater responsibility. A lot of people depend on these corporations.
Contractualization is just one way to cut down costs, and many businesses practice this in the present. We should all think global, competition is very high now as compared to the past decades, it is also because of globalization. Companies nowadays, look for ways to step up in the current trend of the market, well, obviously, ABS CBN -IJM is already showing the world how is it done.
If the job does not want you, or vice-versa, well it only means one side is dissatisfied, then, ask yourself why or how? I know for a fact that it is not easy to look for a job, did not I tell you about hyper-competition. The money you earn and the money that the companies earn out of you contributes to the emerging economy. A lot of factors are needed to be considered in choosing the “right” side in this situation (fast growing population, fast changing society/technology, corporate strategies, etc…).
The bottom line is, companies have to earn, hence, they devise strategies and execute them according to plan. They control their unit of responsibilities to assure success over all threats. Furthermore, what these companies earn, in return, would give more jobs and would be beneficial to the economy for the entire society to enjoy.
mr. denton r., alam nyo po ba sinasabi nyo? have you read the facts? do you know us personally? have you seen us work? san naman galing ang lack of "professionalism" namin?
can you back this up with facts? maybe you're just misinformed. we know what we do and we do it well. this we can back up with facts. wag po banat ng banat.
nkkadismaya na meron mga taong d marunong maki simpatya sa iba.kung makahusga kala mo kilala nila yung mga tinanggal.hindi lahat kgaya niyo ng ugali. alamin niyo muna yung totoong nangyari. bgo kyo mag commento.
F.Y.I. mga technical people po ng Engineering Dept. ang tinanggal ng walang proper due process. professionals po lahat yan. mas professional at mas mabubuting tao kesa sa inyong dalawa.
ipinaaabot ko ang aking pagsoporta sa inyong pakikibaka laban sa contractualization.ang laban ng manggagawa ng abs-cbn ay laban ng sambayanang pilipino.ang contractualization ay isa lamang sa mga inutil na batas na anti- manggagawa.magkaisa sa bawat paglaban ng makamit ang tagumpay.saludo ako sa inyo manggagawang pilipino mabuhay kayo.
Thanks Maria for understanding our flight… Thank you bulatlat… Pls continue your effort sa pag bulatlat ng kaso ng mga workers na pilit iniisahan at ginugulangan ng mapagsamantalang network giant… thank you madam Maria…
If what denton and eloisa said are true, is it correct to punish the more professional ijm or contractuals for the alleged "sins" of the regular workers? Does that excuse a network expecting 'blockbuster' profit from being a flop at respecting their employees' rights to unionise and be regular at the job, as the labor code says they should after being proven good at it for 6 months?
This is a lesson to TV employees. It's not just ABS-CBN which hires contractual workers over regular employees. GMA7 and TV5 also contracts the services of freelance workers to assist in their programs since regular employees have a tendency to be corrupt in their practices. The employees use their clout to demand for commission from suppliers. Contractual workers on the other hand simply deliver a more efficient work output. Most regular enployees don't even have the wide experience to be in mass communications yet they are admitted into a network through the palakasan and connection system. TV stations now are doing the right thing in finally bringing in skilled workers and getting rid of employees who are still in the old system of languid services and fraudulent practices.
Sorry..but believe it or not; the regular employees within Television networks lack the professionalism of hired contractual workers. Most of these 'regulars' just carry on with their territorial attitudes instead on focusing on their task at hand. I am not sympathetic to those who were laid off. Buti nga sa kanila. Ang yayabang kasi ng attitude ng mga 'empleyado' eh. Puro yabang, wala namang laman.