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Just in time for the holidays, fourteen (14) construction workers received their respective 13th-month pay and overtime pay through the intervention of the Department of Labor and Employment – Batangas Provincial Office’s (DOLE BPO) Single Entry Approach (SENA) program after their face-to-face conference at the DOLE BPO, Lipa City, Batangas on December 20.
According to Ms. Ann Jelyn Natividad, Senior Labor and Employment Officer, and the assigned Single Entry Approach Desk Officer, the workers filed Requests for Assistance (RFA) through E-SENA, a free online service platform that for people seeking conciliation and mediation on labor issues and conflicts.
After the evaluation of the complaints, Ms. Natividad, immediately coordinated with the employer and scheduled face-to-face conferences for both parties which happened last 15 and 20 December 2022.
During the scheduled conferences, parties exchanged their respective arguments and appeals since allegedly the workers were hired by sub-contractors or project-partner at some projects which were supposedly liable also for the claims of the workers.
With the recommendation of the assigned SEADO, the parties reached a settlement agreement.
The responding party provided the unpaid 13th-month pay and overtime pay amounting to a total amount of P 177,385.28 benefitting the fourteen (14) workers.
Workers expressed their gratitude to the DOLE BPO since they hoped to settle their complaints and receive the just compensation due to them before the holiday season.
SEnA is under Department Order No. 107-10 which aims to provide mandatory conciliation-mediation to settle labor issues or conflicts to prevent them from ripening into full-blown disputes or actual labor cases.
DOLE Batangas Provincial Office (DOLE BPO) Senior Labor and Employment Officer and SEADO, Ms. Ann Jelyn Natividad with the workers and a company representative during their face-to-face conference at the DOLE BPO, December 20.