Workers outraged over plans to defer 13th month pay

By John Clifford Lintao

SEVERAL labor groups are outraged over a government proposal to allow distressed small and medium enterprises to defer payment of 13th month pay to their workers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reacting to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello’s statement proposing to exempt or defer payment of 13th month pay to workers, Kilusang Mayong Uno chairperson Elmer Labog urged the government to bail out businesses still struggling to stay afloat as a result of the crisis.

“Mali na gawing sacrificial lamb ang mga manggagawa lalo pa’t gipit ngayon at marami ang nangangailangan ng pondo,” he said.

He said the government could subsidize the 13th month pay, which is a twelfth of a worker’s basic salary and should be given not later than Dec. 24 of every year.

“Kailagan talagang i-release ito lalo’t bahagi ito ng tinatawag na pagtugon do’n sa emergencies sa ilalim na COVID-19 pandemic,” Labog said.

The labor group leader warned that letting companies to defer its payout of 13th month of their workers would be exploited.

“Unang-una ‘pag sinabi mong deferred o exempted, marami ang magsasamantala diyan eh. Wala pa ngang pandemya marami na kaming natatanggap na reklamo sa bayaran ng 13th month pay,” he said.

For his part, Defend Jobs Philippines spokesperson Christian Lloyd Magsoy said deferment of 13th month pay would become a major burden to workers as Christmas draws nearer.

“Bahagi ‘yan ng mga benepisyo na dapat makukuha ng mga manggagawa na hindi dapat ipinagkakait sa kanila,” he said.

In a virtual briefing Thursday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they were mulling a proposal for distressed small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be exempted or defer payment of the bonus to their workers.

Data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showed 13,127 companies had laid off workers or permanently closed while 116,471 others had temporarily closed or observed flexible working arrangements.

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) earlier said 2 million workers may not receive their 13th month this year.