Digital Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel) has been complying with the order of the Supreme Court (SC) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on the treatment of 13 employees who were dismissed in 2005.
Digitel Spokesperson Reuben Pangan noted that in fact, more than half of the 13 former Digitel employees who have sought intervention on their concern have accepted their separation pay as ordered by the high court.
However, Pangan said that Digitel has been unable to commence negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as ordered by DOLE to implement the Supreme Court decision as there is simply no existing Collective Bargaining Unit for Digitel following the redundancy program which was completed last March 15.
He explained that Digitel has had to conduct this redundancy program following the decision to migrate over 140,000 landline subscribers in its franchise areas in northern, central, and southern Luzon to PLDT.
He noted that Digitel sought clearances from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in every phase of the migration process.
He said that Digitel decided to migrate its landline subscribers to its parent firm PLDT because its landline facilities are substantially at the end-of-life stage and would be progressively difficult to operate because there are no longer any spare parts for these equipment.
“This would make Digitel subscribers increasingly vulnerable to possible service disruptions due to equipment failure. This will also affect the calling public in general as they will not be able to reach Digitel subscribers as well,” he pointed out.
“In our manifestation to the DOLE, we have signified that due to supervening events that involve the separation of employees due to the redundancy program, Digitel has no Rank-and-File employees as of March 16, 2013, hence, a non-existent collective bargaining unit,” Pangan added.
He noted that nearly 80% of the remaining 424 Digitel employees agreed to the redundancy program that provided a package which was approximately twice the amount as that required by law plus 2-year medical coverage.
“PLDT and Sun Cellular have even agreed to hire around two-thirds of the affected employees, and those who cannot be absorbed have been given assistance through livelihood trainings and workshops,” Pangan added.
He also pointed out that the former Digitel employees who are illegally picketing within PLDT premises did not question the redundancy program at the DOLE or the courts.
“Only about 70 employees refused to accept the redundancy package and less than 30 participate in the illegal picket. It is clear the handful of picketers have very little or almost no support from former Digitel employees,” he stressed.
