Despite the reported concerns of some drivers that it will reduce their income, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has yet to monitor any negative impact of its part-fixed and part performance-based pay scheme for bus firms on the earnings of companies and workers it covers.
Labor officials made the confirmation during their meeting with stakeholders on Thursday with bus operators, drives and conductors.
“As I said a while ago, the system is very flexible as long they ensure the requirements are complied with,” DOLE’s National Wages Productivity Commission (NWPC) Executive Director Executive Director Maria Criselda R. Sy told BusinessMirror in an ambush interview.
She said the policy is unlikely to have any reduction to the income of employers and workers.
“Actually, you may just not be aware of it, but many [of you pay scheme] are already compliant to DO 118. All they have to do is to submit their wage compensation scheme to the RTWPB (Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board),” Labor Undersecretary Ana Dione said.
This means there will be very little or almost no more adjustments on the pay scheme to comply with NWPC guideline No. 1, Series of 2019 or the revised operational guidelines for DO 118, she added.
Pressing issues
During the dialogue, representatives of bus companies like the Executive Director of the Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines (PBOAP) Alex Yague expressed concern that the NWPC guideline will not apply all of the unique nuisances for all bus firms operating nationwide.
“The bus operators in Metro Manila have a different working condition of provincial operators…let us localize [the guidelines]. One for Metro Manila, one for Metro Cebu or Davao,” Yague said.
“If we make the guidelines the same for all [bus firms], it will be very hard for companies to comply,” he added.
Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III said they will be coordinating with bus companies to look into the proposal.
“It is possible you can help us to make those broad classifications as you mentioned and the could serve as reference when we look into different bus lines,” Lagunzad said.
For the labor sector, Aniceto Ituriaga Jr. of the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawa Sa Hanay ng Transportasyon ng Timog Luzon-FFW complained about some bus firms in Southern Luzon which are still not complying with the new pay scheme.
“We are appealing to DOLE and the LTFRB to finally ensure the implementation of the new policy,” Ituriaga said.
Other issues raised by stakeholder include issues non-contact apprehension, working hours for bus drivers, employer protection and shortage of drivers.
None of the stakeholders raised any concern on the potential impact of the new policy to their earnings.
Full implementation
Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said they conducted the consultation so they could further improve the provision of the NWPC Guidelines No. 1, Series of 2019. Bello noted there are actually many bus firms, which already voluntarily implemented of the new pay scheme even while it was pending at the Supreme Court.
Lagunzad noted that while DOLE is still open to improving the guidelines for the new pay system, they will not suspend its enforcement.
“What we are doing has the necessary legal basis…We will implement while ensuring business will grow at same time protect the welfare of workers,” Lagunzad said.
PBOAP together with other bus companies questioned before the courts the government issuance implementing the new pay scheme in 2012.
Last year, the Supreme Court finally affirmed the legality of issuance prompting DOLE to start its strict implementation.