(Image from Facebook/Valenzuela City)
MANILA, Philippines — The factory owner who paid a worker’s wages in coins may be face jail time for other alleged labor malpractice, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Thursday.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the owner of Nexgreen Enterprises, Jasper So for alleged non-remittance of his employees’ SSS, Philhealth and Pagibig contributions.
Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday ordered the suspension of the company’s operations, citing alleged non-coverage of the said benefits, among other reasons.
“Yung non-remittance of SSS premium, criminal case yan, pwedeng makulong ang may-ari na yan, at saka madaling ma-convict ‘yan,” Bello said over Teleradyo.
(Non-remittance of SSS premium is a criminal case, the owner could be easily convicted and go to jail.)
“As soon as we can get in touch with the employee, gagawa kami ng (we will initiate) legal steps to go against the employer,” he added.
The alleged labor violations of the factory were exposed after a former employee, Russel Mañosa complained when he received his two-day wage worth P1,056 in bags of five and 10 centavo coins.
Mañosa alleged that the owner did that to get back to him for speaking out out against management’s labor malpractices.
The local government of Valenzuela also learned that the the employer owes Mañosa more than P55,000 in back wages.
Meanwhile, Bello also disclosed that inspectors of DOLE-National Capital Region (NCR), whom he tasked to investigate the factory, were barred from entering the factory’s premises.
“Itong may-ari mukhang may kalokohan. Unang una noong nalaman namin yung nangyaring ‘yon, pinapunta ko ‘yung mga inspector, hindi pinapasok,” he said.
(The owner appears to be up to no good. When we learned of the incident, I asked inspectors to visit the facility, but they were not allowed to enter.)
The labor chief said inspectors from the DOLE-NCR would return to the factory this Thursday.
Bello said DOLE would issue a compliance order against Nexgreen Enterprises once the inspection confirms the company’s alleged malpractices.
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