Joy Adalia
GMA-7 talents have gained a friend in three lawmakers who filed House Resolution 1893 for the Congress to probe the alleged unfair “talent” system in the giant TV network.
NOTE: “Talents” in this article do not mean actors and actresses you can see in GMA-7’s shows but the creative and technical people behind the TV network’s shows and special features.
Several of these GMA-7 “talents” have filed a case against what they believe is unfair system the network is implement with regard to their employment status. Despite being the blood that runs these programs, these talents are mere contractors of the network and not regular employees; whereas those who simply present the talent’s researched/created items are the ones recognized by the TV network.
See – GMA-7 Talents at Risk of Losing Jobs in December over Labor Issues
A number of these talents created TAG (Talents Association of GMA), a group whose principal members are now actively going against GMA-7, even at the risk of losing their jobs. Rappler reported that last December, 52 of TAG’s members lost their jobs when they refused to accept the network’s updated offer: a project-based year-long contract.
After a month of not finding suitable replacements for these talents, the network allegedly offered these jobs back, claims TAG. However, the talents refused to accept the offer.
TAG issued the following statement:
TAG is convinced that this latest move by the Management only proves that talents are desirable to the network; and desirability is one important qualification to be a regular employee.
On February 10, Gabriela Party-list Representatives Emmi De Jesus and Luz Ilagan, and Quezon City 6th District Representative Christopher “Kit” Belmonte filed the resolution to call on the Congress to investigate these alleged labor violations.
De Jesus believes social justice must be served for these people who “keep the Filipino public informed and appraised of social justice issues”.
Meanwhile, GMA-7 believes it has done nothing wrong to these people, saying they had “knowingly, freely, willingly, and voluntarily” signed the fixed-term employment agreements. The network also denied having any employer-employee relationship with these talents, reports Rappler.
Full text of House Resolution 1893 [credits: Twitter/@buenabernal]:
