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	NORDIS WEEKLY February 12, 2006
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Philippine Rabbit Bus workers’ grief remains
BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 9) — Employees of the Philippine Rabbit Busline, Inc. continue to plead for the agencies Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to process their benefit claims. According to one Rabbit Bus employee, their monthly contributions for SSS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth have not been remitted since 2002. The bus line has more than 1,000 employees. The employees still have not received their remuneration. Rabbit Bus driver Jose Macalanda, 54, shared that their salary deductions reach up to 20% for the BIR remittance alone. He said the company stopped paying PAG-IBIG premiums for almost a year. However, the deductions they see in their pay slips remain questionable. Macalanda presented his verification notice from SSS. His slip has not recorded any contribution, which confused him because of the continuous deductions supposedly going to his benefit funding. On November 8, 2005, some workers of the Philippine Rabbit Bus line, Inc. based in Tarlac City have filed complaints to the said agencies against their employer for deficiency of monthly remittances. Two strikes have already been staged in 2002 and 2004 over the disputed benefits. More than 40 affidavits of complaint from the Rabbit Bus line employees have been passed through the SSS-Baguio branch. However, these complaints were passed on to the Tarlac branch since the company is situated in Tarlac. Just a few days ago, Macalanda had re-checked what happened to the complaints they have filed against their company. He said there was still no development or update about the processing of their claims. “Parang wala nang nangyayari. Nawawalan na kami ng pag-asa dito ng mga kasama ko. Kami ang naghihirap, wala naman kaming natatanggap na benepisyo,” (It is as if nothing is happening. We are almost losing hope. We are the ones who sweat out for money, and yet we receive no benefit) Macalanda shared with almost uncontained angst. He also imparted about his sickness notification, since his left eye is almost blind. He said that he has already filed three times, equipped with the needed medical certificate and final diagnosis for his sickness. In three months time since his filing, the company failed to respond to his medical assistance claim. Renetito Duran, a Baguio-Tarlac route driver, said they have no choice but to stick with the company. Other bus lines have age requirement, and most of them are not qualified anymore. Nevertheless, he said, they have continuously lobbied their complaints to the concerned agencies. Aside from facing unpaid claims, the Rabbit Bus line employees fear retrenchment and unpaid salaries. Some employees from the bus line’s Vigan sub-station have been retrenched in 2002. Mechanics, cashier, dispatcher, ticket dealers and casual employees were terminated without separation pay and benefits. La Union sub-station manager Remigio Patrid, served 44 years for Rabbit Bus line, was disappointed when he received only P50,000 for his retirement fee. Another employee, served 42 years but received only P20,000 upon his retirement. A driver for more than 35 years for the company has been receiving a partial P3, 000 monthly salary. Most employees, either in the management or the drivers, mechanics and casuals, receive delayed salary for almost 3 weeks. Their 13th month pay for 2004 has not yet been paid. Some employees have received just the half of their salary for March 16-31, 2002. Some casual employees have not received any salary. “Parang kung magkano lang gusto nila ibigay, parang yun na lang ang ibibigay nila,” (It’s like they give our salary according to how much they want to give, so they give not much) Macalanda reiterated. “Ang gusto lang namin, iyong sapat sa amin. Hindi naman kami sumusobra,” (We are just asking for what is due us, we are not asking for more than what we are supposed to have) Macalanda concluded as he hopes the agencies would further address their problems. # Pink-Jean Fangon Melegrito for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
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	NORDIS WEEKLY February 12, 2006
Home \| To bottom	Previous \| Next
Philippine Rabbit Bus workers’ grief remains
BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 9) — Employees of the Philippine Rabbit Busline, Inc. continue to plead for the agencies Social Security System (SSS), PhilHealth and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to process their benefit claims. According to one Rabbit Bus employee, their monthly contributions for SSS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth have not been remitted since 2002. The bus line has more than 1,000 employees. The employees still have not received their remuneration. Rabbit Bus driver Jose Macalanda, 54, shared that their salary deductions reach up to 20% for the BIR remittance alone. He said the company stopped paying PAG-IBIG premiums for almost a year. However, the deductions they see in their pay slips remain questionable. Macalanda presented his verification notice from SSS. His slip has not recorded any contribution, which confused him because of the continuous deductions supposedly going to his benefit funding. On November 8, 2005, some workers of the Philippine Rabbit Bus line, Inc. based in Tarlac City have filed complaints to the said agencies against their employer for deficiency of monthly remittances. Two strikes have already been staged in 2002 and 2004 over the disputed benefits. More than 40 affidavits of complaint from the Rabbit Bus line employees have been passed through the SSS-Baguio branch. However, these complaints were passed on to the Tarlac branch since the company is situated in Tarlac. Just a few days ago, Macalanda had re-checked what happened to the complaints they have filed against their company. He said there was still no development or update about the processing of their claims. “Parang wala nang nangyayari. Nawawalan na kami ng pag-asa dito ng mga kasama ko. Kami ang naghihirap, wala naman kaming natatanggap na benepisyo,” (It is as if nothing is happening. We are almost losing hope. We are the ones who sweat out for money, and yet we receive no benefit) Macalanda shared with almost uncontained angst. He also imparted about his sickness notification, since his left eye is almost blind. He said that he has already filed three times, equipped with the needed medical certificate and final diagnosis for his sickness. In three months time since his filing, the company failed to respond to his medical assistance claim. Renetito Duran, a Baguio-Tarlac route driver, said they have no choice but to stick with the company. Other bus lines have age requirement, and most of them are not qualified anymore. Nevertheless, he said, they have continuously lobbied their complaints to the concerned agencies. Aside from facing unpaid claims, the Rabbit Bus line employees fear retrenchment and unpaid salaries. Some employees from the bus line’s Vigan sub-station have been retrenched in 2002. Mechanics, cashier, dispatcher, ticket dealers and casual employees were terminated without separation pay and benefits. La Union sub-station manager Remigio Patrid, served 44 years for Rabbit Bus line, was disappointed when he received only P50,000 for his retirement fee. Another employee, served 42 years but received only P20,000 upon his retirement. A driver for more than 35 years for the company has been receiving a partial P3, 000 monthly salary. Most employees, either in the management or the drivers, mechanics and casuals, receive delayed salary for almost 3 weeks. Their 13th month pay for 2004 has not yet been paid. Some employees have received just the half of their salary for March 16-31, 2002. Some casual employees have not received any salary. “Parang kung magkano lang gusto nila ibigay, parang yun na lang ang ibibigay nila,” (It’s like they give our salary according to how much they want to give, so they give not much) Macalanda reiterated. “Ang gusto lang namin, iyong sapat sa amin. Hindi naman kami sumusobra,” (We are just asking for what is due us, we are not asking for more than what we are supposed to have) Macalanda concluded as he hopes the agencies would further address their problems. # Pink-Jean Fangon Melegrito for NORDIS Post your comments, reactions to this article
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