DOLE releases P30-M aid to affected workers of NCCC mall, SSI

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./Presidential Photo

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has ordered the release of P30 million as assistance to more than 2,000 affected workers in the NCCC mall fire in Davao City last weekend.

The Department of Labor and Employment also promised to ensure that there will be zero displacement of the employees affected by the fire, which killed 38 people.

In a statetement, the DOLE said agency representatives met with the management of NCCC Mall and SSI, a business process outsourcing firm housed inside the ill-fated mall.

“Bello ordered the release of P30 million following his directive to agencies to provide all posible assistance so that no one will be displaced,” the agency said.

Also directed to provide assistance were the Bureau of Working Conditions, Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) and the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC).

The DOLE said the P30 million will cover the emergency employment of more than 2,000 workers and their dependents for at least 30 days.

This figure includes employees of the NCCC, the SSI, employees of mall tenants and other employees of the service providers.

The ECC will also give P30,000 in burial assistance to the kin of the 38 victims, including grocery items for the wake of their loved ones.

This will be followed by a P3,700 monthly survivorship pension to the kin of the victims.

For its part, the DOLE regional office in Davao, along with the OSCH and the ECC, will extend an additional P20,000 assistance to each of the families of the 38 victims.

Earlier, the NCCC promised that its 616 regular mall workers will not lose their jobs as they will be reassigned to other businesses and will continue to receive their salaries.

The NCCC management has already submitted a report on the deployment of their regular workers, which the DOLE is validating.

For the 192 agency-deployed workers under Bmirck Cooperative, the NCCC said talks are ongoing for their possible deployment to another mall in Davao City.

Meanwhile, the SSI management committed that their employees will be paid their salaries up to December 31, 2017.

The BPO firm added that it has found another building for their operations and assured their workers of employment within the next 60 days.

A proposal for the payment of the workers’ salary for the 60-day period is also being considered by the principal of SSI in the United States, the DOLE added. /jpv

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