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Sugar workers demand release of bonus
THE National Federation of Sugar Workers-Food and General Trades (NFSW-FGT) reiterated Tuesday their demand for the immediate release of their unclaimed social amelioration cash bonuses and subsidies estimated at P150,913,299.
NFSW-FGT spokesperson Sid Castillo said under Social Amelioration Law, P10 per picul would go to sugar workers as amelioration share. Of the amount, 80 percent would go to the cash bonuses of sugar workers while the remaining 20 percent to various socio-economic livelihood projects.
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He said the total number of sugar workers entitled to receive cash bonuses under the social amelioration program in the sugar industry is estimated at 500,000, with approximately 30,000 in 27 operating sugar mills. He added that 80 percent of the beneficiaries are from Negros, it being the 'sugar bowl' of the country.
Castillo said at a time when thousands of workers are wallowing in poverty, "depriving them of their just share in the labor industry exacerbates only their miseries, and further fuel their distrust and anger at the government."
He also alleged that the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole)-Bureau of Rural Workers (BRW) had been conniving with the sugar planters and "yellow unions and federations" in "pocketing or diverting the workers' money".
Nacusip-TUCP Secretary General Hernanie Braza earlier demanded the release of their unpaid and undistributed P250-million social amelioration cash bonuses annually since 2002, and another P150-M from the 1991 to 2001 crop years.
Braza, however, lamented that since the 3rd national convention of the District Tripartite Councils in Sugar Industry convened by the Dole-BRW and the Sugar Tripartite Council (STC) in December 2006, where labor groups and employers agreed on doable schemes for the release of funds, "nothing substantial yet has been achieved due to bureaucratic measures at the Dole offices, and disagreements between workers and employers in the district level tripartite council on where the funds would be channeled."
Braza stressed the longer the delay in the release of funds, the longer they prolong the agony of the already impoverished sugar workers. "The millions (of pesos) in sugar amelioration program are intended to ameliorate the working and living conditions of the workers; it should be given to them especially in the face of worsening poverty among them caused by the seasonal character of their job."
Braza said the STCl, composed of representatives from district tripartite councils nationwide, must act as the advisory body of the Dole secretary on sugar concerns, whose main task is to come up with resolutions and proposals for the Secretary's approval.
He added that sugar workers' associations in various district centers are ready with their licensed cooperatives and foundations to accept the funds for their socio-economic livelihood projects, but said that several employers demand that they take part in district tripartite councils and management of funds.
"In principle, we don't have problems with that, but since this is primarily workers' funds, workers cooperatives and unions must be made the principal in decision making as to where the funds should go," Braza clarified.
Braza said the bigger blame is on the Dole for its "internal incapacity to effectively assume its enforcement functions, compounded by continuous leadership change in the department." (Karl G. Ombion)