Dole orders Korean school to pay tutors, workers P1M salaries, incentives

ILOILO CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has ordered a Korean school here to pay about P1 million in unpaid incentives and salaries to its English tutors and other employees.

In a 13-page order dated Feb. 15, the Dole Western Visayas also ruled that 55 tutors of Metro Korea Language Training Center Inc. (MKLTCI) were regular employees and should be given the appropriate benefits.

Johnson Cañete, Dole regional director, asked the management of the school to deposit a total of P932,818.24 to the agency’s regional office within 10 days upon receipt of the order.

The amount includes P774,689.54 in incentive leave pay and regular holiday premium to 55 tutors, and P158,128.70 in incentive leave pay and underpayment of wages to four administrative personnel.

Fourteen other employees settled their claims with the company, according to the order.

The school had argued that the tutors were not entitled to benefits of regular employees because they were “individual contractors” and worked on a seasonal basis.

But According to Cañete, the tutors “perform functions which are directly related to main business of [the school]” and are necessary to sustain its operations.

The tutors filed a complaint at the Dole Western Visayas office over unpaid incentive leave pays and labor practices of the school.

At least five employees had been terminated after the complaint was submitted in October last year.

The school also issued a 30-day “preventive suspension” against at least six tutors after the Inquirer and television network ABS-CBN reported on the plight of the tutors.

MKLTCI management accused them of “feeding misinformation” to reporters, such as underpayment of wages and nonpayment of 13th month pay. It also threatened to mete out administrative sanctions and file civil and criminal charges against them.

The tutors, however, denied the school’s accusation, saying they were merely airing the truth.