Dole planning to appeal court ruling on PLDT workers

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said on Monday his office was studying whether to file a motion for reconsideration on the Court of Appeals’ (CA) decision that defined the type of workers who should be regularized by PLDT Inc.

Bello said he had asked Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod to look into the implications of the CA decision, especially after the affected workers expressed concern that it might set a “dangerous precedent” on the compliance orders issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) against employers who engage in illegal labor-only contracting.

Last week, the CA “sustained with modifications” the Dole order to PLDT when it said that those involved in the company’s installation, repair and maintenance services should be regularized.

But the court said that workers involved in janitorial and clerical services, as well as those in call centers “should remain employees of the independent contractors.” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Malacañang was saddened by the court decision but optimistic that the regularization of all PLDT workers would eventually be upheld by the Supreme Court. —Jovic Yee and Julie M. Aurelio