The National Labor Relations Commission has set another hearing and hopefully a decision on December 13 on the alleged illegal retrenchment of the seven workers of the Pambato Cargo Forwarder Inc. Iloilo Branch.

The decision of the NLRC came after the management of the cargo company refused to agree to the condition of amicable settlement laid by the affected workers.

On the letter submitted to the NLRC, the PCF Labor Union in Iloilo wanted the employees reinstated, retained to their previous positions and their salaries from Nov. 1, 2012 up to the present date, paid.

The Pambato management represented by Alfonso Garcera and Human Resource Officer Vic Pagalilaan, meanwhile refused to accept the terms and asked for an extension date to answer the issue.

The NLRC represented by Labor Arbiter Rodrigo Camacho is set to decide on the case during its next hearing.

Vicente Doromal, PCF Labor Union president, said they will continue to protest against the management unless they are retained in their previous positions.

Doromal and his fellow workers said the company retrenched them without due process.

Aside from Doromal, also affected by the retrenchment which took effect on October 31 are Jun Ajusan, Fatima Majarucon, Ronnel Padora, Gerry Santillan, Rogelio Velasco, and Romeo Bares.

Estelito Luces, national president of the PCF Labor Union meanwhile urged other labor sectors to fight for the workers’ rights.

Luces said that the retrenchment of some of their members despite the Collective Bargaining Agreement is a clear violation of workers’ rights.

DAILY STRUGGLE

Each day of protest is a struggle also for the workers' families, said Doromal.

Since they have lost their job, Doromal said that the future of their children is already at stake.

To sustain their needs, their members solicit from the passing jeepneys in the area.

Some of their members just bring vegetable that they would share. The small collections they got are then used to buy their food.*