ABS-CBN should regularize its workers if franchise renewed—labor group

Photo from ABS-CBN

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) reiterated its call on the company to regularize its workers once its franchise is renewed by Congress. “We support the challenge by Senator Risa Hontiveros during the Senate hearing on the franchise of ABS-CBN for the company to improve working conditions and promote job security of its employees if the franchise is renewed,” stated Wilson Fortaleza, PM chairperson.

He added that “In the same vein, we assail ABS-CBN CEO Carlo Katigbak for refusing to commit to regularize all of its 11,071 workers as dared by Senator Hontiveros.”

The group stated that ABS-CBN should treat as kapamilya its 5,000 workers who are project-based or independent contractors by making them regular employees. “ABS-CBN of course gives mandated benefits to its non-regular workers. But the crux of the contractualization issue is that ABS-CBN—along with other broadcast firms—denies  better wages & benefits to them since they are not regular in status. In fact it is disingenuous for ABS-CBN to now express concern for its 11,071 but refuse to recognize employee-employer relationship when a few years ago contractual workers unionized in a bid to negotiate for improved wages and working conditions,” Fortaleza said.

He ended with the statement “ If anything, the Senate hearing made crystal clear that the attempt to shutdown ABS-CBN is rooted in just President Duterte’s personal grudge about non-airing of his campaign ads.”

February 24, 2020