Push Admin

Bello says ABS-CBN compliant with labor laws, clarifies number of workers

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/02/26/20200221-abs-cbn-solidarity-gathering-gcs-9877.jpg"/><figcaption>ABS-CBN employees and press freedom advocates join the solidarity gathering outside the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center in Quezon City, Feb. 21, 2020. Gigie Cruz, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello on Wednesday said ABS-CBN Corp. is compliant with labor standards, and clarified reports on the number of people who work for ABS-CBN. Bello said ABS-CBN has settled its issues concerning violations on labor-only contracting. &quot;We discovered some violations and we asked them to comply. We issued compliance orders. And in fairness, they complied,&quot; Bello said. Bello also said, based on a 2018 audit, the company had only 4,858 employees. But he also said that this figure may not have included ABS-CBN&#x27;s subsidiaries. &quot;Whether you have subsidiaries or not, we are not aware of that,&quot; the labor chief said. Last Monday, Mark Nepomuceno, former head of ABS-CBN Corporate Services Group, told the Senate Public Services committee that the ABS-CBN Group, including its subsidiaries, had 11,071 employees. ABS-CBN operates Channel 2, radio stations DZMM and MOR, and Digital Terrestrial Television or DTT, but the company also has subsidiaries which include cable news ABS-CBN News Channel, ABS-CBN Global, movie outfit Star Cinema, theme park Kidzania, etc. &quot;Now that we know that there are subsidiary corporations, we will inspect them,&quot; he added. In a statement, ABS-CBN reiterated the statement given by Nepomuceno that the ABS-CBN Group provides jobs to 11,071 Filipinos through regular employment, project and program-based positions, independent contractors, and on-camera talents.ABS-CBN said 5,918 people worked directly for ABS-CBN (as opposed to 11,071 for the whole ABS-CBN Group) as of December 2019. The 5,918 employees of ABS-CBN comprised 2,661 regular employees, 2,096 project-based seasonal workers, 1,069 independent contractors and on-camera talents, and 92 project employees.&quot;The livelihood of all these workers, regardless of their classification, will be affected by the closure of ABS-CBN,&quot; it said. The network&#x27;s closure will affect jobs across all its businesses, ABS-CBN said. &quot;This figure does not yet include jobs indirectly produced by the company through its hiring of third-party agencies such as security guards, cleaners and utility men among others.&quot;&quot;These people and their families, and the public we serve, remain our inspiration in undergoing this franchise renewal process,&quot; the company said. ABS-CBN’s current franchise expires on May 4. Congress is adjourning in mid-March and will resume session on May 4. <div>news.abs-cbn.com is the official news website of ABS-CBN Corp.</div><div>- Report from Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News</div>

Labor chief Silvestre Bello said ABS-CBN had only 4,858 employees based on a 2018 audit, but that this figure may not have included ABS-CBN's subsidiaries.

Labor chief Silvestre Bello said ABS-CBN had only 4,858 employees based on a 2018 audit, but that this figure may not have included ABS-CBN's subsidiaries.