The local chapter of the Manggagawa sa Komunikasyon-Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company Union yesterday denounced the termination of the 575 employees of the telecommunications giant, including six radio technicians in Negros Occidental, effective September 15.

We are calling on the management to stop the retrenchment, Ronnie Gedoria, Negros and Iloilo union council representative, said.

The PLDT management served the notice of termination to the affected employees on August 16, after it decided to abolish four of its departments - Fleet Management, Operator Services, Directories Assistance and Vis/Min Core Networks.

It said the positions of the 575 employees are considered redundant because of technological changes and automation which require lesser workforce, collapsing or merging of functions, and effects of market forces. Wendell Aguinea, one of those served a notice of termination, told the DAILY STAR he and his colleagues in the province were caught by surprise by the retrenchment order, although they were also offered a separation package.

We're not prepared for this, Aguinea said, who has been working at the PLDT transmission station in Hinigaran for 14 years.

He said PLDT plans to "unman" their stations because they will now use fiber optic technology.

Moreover, Gedoria said the MKP-PLDT Union believes the PLDT is committing unfair labor practice because it continues to hire contractual employees and prevents the exercise of the employees' rights to self-organization by terminating the services of union officers and members actively advocating and defending employee and union rights.

His group also accused the telecommunications company of violating with malice and in bad faith its commitment to the union that it will hold in abeyance the transfer of Mindanao Core Network employees while conciliation proceedings are ongoing.*NLG

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