Villanueva asks Senate to look into PLDT, NutriAsia regularization issues

Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday asked the Senate to look into the regularization issues hounding PLDT and condiments giant NutriAsia.

Villanueva made the call amid the alleged non-compliance of PLDT and NutriAsia with a directive from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ordering them to regularize their employees.

In a resolution, Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, asked the upper chamber to look into the case of PLDT which has yet to implement the DOLE’s final and executory order to regularize its 7,309 contractual employees and to pay 2,074 of its workers the total amount of P51,801,729.

In the case of NutriAsia, the senator wants Senate to look into the results of the DOLE inspection.

NutriAsia recently made headlines following the violent dispersal of its striking workers at their factory in Marilao, Bulacan.

NutriAsia workers went on strike for 12 days to protest the alleged labor-only contracting, low wages, and poor working conditions. They also called for the reinstatement of dismissed union leaders.

On Monday, another violent dispersal took place at NutriAsia’s Bulacan plant following an ecumenical service for its 300 workers and supporters. At least 19 NutriAsia workers and supporters were reportedly arrested.

“PLDT and NutriAsia are the more prominent cases on enforcement and compliance issues, and there are more cases of similar nature all over the country. We need to investigate because these cases highlight the weaknesses of our current regulatory framework. They emphasize the need for the Security of Tenure Bill that we are going to deliberate in the Senate floor in the coming weeks,” Villanueva said.  /muf