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Rabbit workers still face a blank wall

BAGUIO CITY (Nov. 8) — Some workers of the Philippine Rabbit Busline, Inc. based in Tarlac City, said they failed to get a quick response from the Social Security System (SSS), where they reportedly forwarded formal complaints against the bus company for not remitting their monthly contributions. Despite two Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with the management, the workers still face a blank wall on the demands for better benefits.

According to one of the complainants, Philippine Rabbit has not been remitting SSS, Pag-IBIG and Philhealth contributions it is collecting from its more than 1,000 employees since 2002. This has been the subject of two strikes staged by drivers and conductors in 2002 and 2004.

Atty. Rodolfo Formoso of the SSS Northern Luzon Legal Office confirmed in an interview that a legal case is pending in the Tarlac branch. He admitted around 40 individual complainants approached his office for a speedy action but were forwarded to the Tarlac office for proper jurisdiction.

Two strikes, in 2002 and again in 2004, produced MOAs that articulated the workers’ demands for refundable taxes withheld from their salaries, the remittances of their mandatory contributions to the social security, health coverage and government housing, among other demands for benefits and against unfair labor practices.

When his wife was hospitalized for dengue in October this year, Jose Macalanda, 52, a conductor for Baguio-Cubao bus, was reminded that the company has not been doing its responsibility to its employees. He paid some P18,000 at the Baguio General Hospital for fees that could have been collected from the Philhealth.

Formoso, however, said that while it is true that Philippine Rabbit has deficiencies in its remittances, there were payments made.

According to Formoso, a billing process has to be followed to prosecute employers who fail to remit premiums. An erring company has 15 days upon receipt of the bill to respond. If there are no actions then the concerned SSS unit initiates a case, if there is no other previous case filed.

Formoso revealed that in the case of the Philippine Rabbit, no report was received by the SSS on its remittances and this, he said, caused the employees problems.

A violation of the provisions of Republic Act 8282 penalizes erring parties with 6 years to 12 years of imprisonment. For companies as in the case of the Philippine Rabbit, responsible officials will be liable, Formoso warns.

Aside from non-remittance of SSS, Pag-IBIG and Philhealth contributions, employees of the Philippine Rabbit demand the refund of taxes withheld since 1198, the payment of 13th month pay since 2002 and a change in union leadership. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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