MANILA, The Philippines — “We strongly condemn the anti-labor action of GMA7 management. These acts are tantamount to labor harassment and union busting.”

Arthur Guda, National President of the National Alliance of Broadcast Union (NABU) made such declaration during a one-on-one interview with the Center for People’s Media (CPM).

Guda believes the move of GMA management is a clear violation of the labor laws under the Labor Code of the Philippines and a direct attack not only on GMA Employees Union (GMAEU) but to the whole broadcast industry in general.

“If the GMA management’s move was not taken seriously by the labor movement it will be a possible precedent. That’s why we at NABU is taking this seriously and we will file the necessary legal action to address it properly,” Guda explained.

Recently, the management of GMA7 issued a “Notice of Separation from Employment” dated  October 5, 2016, to the Entertainment TV (ETV) Group’s Manpower.

“As part of the company’s continuous effort to evaluate its operations and improve efficiencies. It conducted a department-wide reorganization and review of the Entertainment TV (ETV) Group’s Manpower. As a result, the company determined the position of ETV Administrative Services/Clerk as a non-core or not directly related to the business operations of ETV, and decided to abolish the same, with a plan to outsource the functions of the said position.”

But according to Racquel Lavilla, an ETV personnel assigned as an administrative clerk, it is not true that the management had dissolved their positions.

“Ako pa nga ang nag-interview dun sa isa sa mga bagong empleyado na tinanggap ng management, yun pala, siya ang magiging kapalit ko,” Lavilla narrated to CPM.

[I am the ones who interviewed the newly hired employee, but I never thought that they are the ones who will replace our position]

Lavilla is just one of the four ETV personnel who received the “Notice of Separation from Employment.”

“Bale sabi sa amin ng management, redundant na raw po ang aming posisyon kaya aalisin na nila kami,” Lavilla added.

[The management told us that our position is already redundant, that’s why our services will no longer be needed]

According to labor organizer and educator of Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN) Danny Fuentes, if the management stated that there is a redundancy in the position of employees when it is dissolved, then nobody else should occupy the same.

“Malabong redundant yung posisyon, ang linaw nang sinasabi nung empleyado, may kapalit agad sila nang paalisin sila ng management sa trabaho. Samakatuwid, gusto nilang magbawas nang binibigyan nila ng mga nagbe-benefits sa collective bargaining agreement (CBA) na inilaban ng unyon,” Fuentes said to CPM.

[It is very clear that the position is not redundant, why? They immediately hired a replacement for the displaced regular employee. In other words, the management just wanted to trim down employees who they think are an excess beneficiary of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that was negotiated by the union]

Guda said, whatever happens, NABU will provide the necessary legal assistance to the displaced employees.

“Ilalaban namin ito, hindi papayag ang NABU sa direktang pang-ha-harass ng GMA management para buwagin ang mga unyon laluna na sa industriya ng broadcast,” Guda said.

[We will fight for the employees’ right, NABU will not allow the GMA management to continuously harassed employees especially in the broadcast industry]  CPM