LABOR COMLAINTS VS ABS-CBN CONTINUES! CREATES AN INTERNAL OMBUDSMAN TO ADRESS THE NETWORK'S PROBLEMS!

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is alarmed over reports that television network ABS-CBN has terminated at least 25 employees who have refused to accept the terms of the network's regularization scheme.

More than 15 news and current affairs crew members were given 24 hours to sign a waiver otherwise they will also be terminated. The crew members are IJM personnel who were offered and signed the regularization scheme that the ABS-CBN IJM Union and non-union members question as discriminatory and conditional.They filed and won a labor case against the ABS-CBN management and is now under appeal.

ABS-CBN Internal Job Market (IJM) Workers' Union President Antonio Perez said employees who refused the regularization scheme were not given work schedules and denied access to the company's premises.

Perez said they consider the scheme as “bogus” regularization because the regular employment status was offered in exchange for withdrawing labor complaints against the management and also exclude back-pay of employees who have been working for years in the company.

He said they consider the scheme as an effort to deplete the ranks of the more than 600-member IJM Workers Union and is effectively union-busting.

Those terminated or face threats of termination include employees who have been working in the company for 10 to 22 years.

NUJP calls on the ABS-CBN management to respect the rights of employees to job security, organize, seek redress of grievances, and fair working conditions. The labor issues should be resolved amicably through dialogue and not through intimidation and termination of employees.

Meanwhile Bong Osorio Head on Corporate Communications said, "Contrary to what other groups have written and claimed, ABS-CBN is not dismissing or retrenching employees. In fact, we are even hiring for said new positions from the IJM pool," 

Osorio revealed that a group has been propagating lies like claiming that the recent regularization of some individuals in the IJM pool was a move against the IJM Workers’ Union, a group whose petition for certification election was denied by the Department of Labor and Employment. The group has also been very active in attacking ABS-CBN and its management with wrong information and even exerting undue influence over fellow IJM workers who chose to accept the new positions offered to them by the company.

"We want to move on with the employees that want to work with us and help make us bigger and better. We won’t force those who choose not to. We cannot please everybody but we believe we are doing what is right and in the best interests of everyone concerned," Osorio stated.


"ABS-CBN is moving in step with the ever evolving multi-media industry landscape, and we are treating this issue driven by the company values of fairness, honesty and transparency," Osorio underscored.

In its continuing effort to promote greater accountability and transparency in its news and entertainment groups, ABS-CBN Corporation has established the Office of the Network Ombudsman (ONO).

The ABS-CBN Board of Directors adopted a resolution creating the ONO and appointing retired Supreme Court Justice Jose C. Vitug as Network Ombudsman. Mr. Vitug also sits on the board as an independent director. Appointed to act as Deputy Network Ombudsman is veteran newsman Danilo Luis M. Mariano.

The ABS-CBN Board of Directors has tasked the ONO with investigating complaints and other concerns from the public regarding the network's news and entertainment programs, content and related areas.

In exceptional or urgent cases, the ONO may initiate on its own the investigation of issues pertaining to the network's news and entertainment programs, content and related areas, if in its own sound judgment, such investigation would be warranted. In investigating complaints, the ONO may issue invitations to concerned network staff and personnel and require their attendance and/or provide information.

The administrative investigation and imposition of sanctions on concerned personnel, whenever appropriate, shall continue to be governed by the applicable policies and guidelines of ABS-CBN Corporation.

The Network Ombudsman holds office at the ABS-CBN Legal Services Department, 9th floor, ELJCC building.


Credits to NUJP