News Release
21 May 2012
Media group airs support to impending strike of RMN-Manila employees
The Burgos Media Center today airs support to their fellow media workers in the Manila station of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) against union busting, illegal dismissal of Union leaders and for their better working conditions. The RMN Manila Employees Union (RMN-MEU) faces the Labor Department today over Notice of Strikes which they filed last May 7 and 18, following the issuance of DOLE’s union certification to them.
Media practitioners of the RMN-MEU already aired out their demands for recognition of their Union and reinstatement of their terminated leaders including RMN-MEU president Michael Rogas, vice president Lawrence Tanjoco and Board chairperson Shane Juan. Two other employees are on floating status including RMN Manila chief reporter, Lourdes Escaros and admin officer, Emily Galdo.
The Burgos Media Center sees the move of the RMN management to terminate the labor leaders as form of repression and violation of the employees’ right to organization. The group also tells RMN president Eric Canoy to heed the demands of his regular employees nationwide for better working conditions. RMN covers 56 AM and FM radio stations all over the country.
“The mere fact that the RMN management already terminated leaders of the union clearly shows its conscious union busting efforts and move to curtail the rights of its employees on their political and socio-economic rights,” says Marc Joseph Alejo, spokesperson of Burgos Media Center and the current editor-in-chief of the Trinity Observer, the official student publication of the Trinity University of Asia in Quezon City.
The RMN-MEU has been calling their management to recognize their union and reinstate their illegally terminated leaders for them to be able to negotiate for collective bargaining and for the granting of their night differential and overtime pay. The 42 reporters, anchors and production crew of RMN in Manila has been covering and gathering news on 13 news beats in Metro Manila alone for six days per employee, without shifting schedules and crew cab services.
Alejo added, “The RMN has its moral responsibility and obligation to ensure the welfare of its regular and contractual employees nationwide given the fact that the company is capable of doing it so.”
The RMN-MEU said that the owners of RMN are able to procure other media institutions like DWWW and other properties. RMN is also considered as the largest radio network in the country today.
“We challenge the RMN to be true to its tagline ‘Handang Tumulong sa Inyo.’ The RMN management must offer help to its employees first by listening to their clamor first, as the major reason for the progress and continuous operations of the company for the longest time now,” Alejo insisted.
Reference:
Marc Joseph Alejo, Burgos Media Center Spokesperson (0915.9758683)
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