THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday, June 5, said it would clarify with the management of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila whether its looming closure will be for good or temporary.
This followed allegations from soon-to-be terminated hotel employees that the hotel will only undergo renovations, and that the supposed closure is just a way to dissolve the workers’ union.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma told ABS-CBN News that his agency, through the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), was conducting hearings with representatives of the hotel and the employees.
The hotel earlier announced that it will stop operations by July 1, citing safety concerns that could threaten the lives of guests and employees.
In a statement sent to ABS-CBN News, it also dismissed accusations of union busting.
But Laguesma said it should also state what happens next after it addresses, or should it address, those safety issues, especially since this would have implications on their employees.
“Kung sasabihin mo na pahintuin muna ang trabaho at hindi mo bigyan ng benepisyo mga manggagawa, saan naman kukuha ng ikabubuhay ang ating mga manggagawa? So may mga balancing na dapat gawin ‘yan,” added Laguesma.
Members of the National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant, and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN) staged a quick but tension-filled protest outside Sofitel on Wednesday morning.
Security officers initially tried to prevent the labor group from protesting, resulting in at least one physical altercation. They even confiscated some protest paraphernalia. But they eventually relented as the rallyists moved to the street, which is no longer covered by hotel premises.
The unionists claimed that while Philippine Plaza Holdings, Inc. (PPHI), the owner of Sofitel Philippines, has not explicitly declared a temporary closure, there are pieces of evidence that point to such a plan such as supposed ongoing renovations and acquisition of new equipment.
According to NUWHRAIN Deputy Secretary General Marco Gohol, the hotel employees’ union is willing to keep talking with Sofitel management and PPHI to work out a win-win solution that does not involve their termination. But he said their offers have so been ignored.
In case of a change in hotel management, NUWHRAIN also appealed to PPHI President Steve Pena Sy to still rehire their workers.
The group hopes that the DOLE and the Department of Tourism will intervene in the case, considering that there is only less than a month to go before the July 1 closure which will displace over a thousand employees.
Laguesma said he is leaving the discussion up to the NCMB for now, but promised that they are conducting timely hearings.
In an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo, Pena Sy emphasized that they are closing the hotel purely due to safety reasons.
He also said that they are uncertain as to the future of their business, since they own the building but not the land it stands on. (ABS-CBN News)
