GMA Network talent asks Gozon for reform

GMA Network employee Jayson Bernard Santos poured his heart out in an open letter with a plea for reform to GMA President Felipe Gozon. In Santos’s statement, he said, “Nananawagan na kilalaning pantay ang bawat taong may kontribusyon sa pagpapalago, pagpapakilala at pagpapabuti ng kumpanya. Nananawagan sa pananatili sa kumpanya nang may benepisyo katulad ng ibang empleyado. [I ask you to please treat us as equals as we all contribute fairly to the company’s welfare and growth. I ask to please give us equal benefits as employees.]”

The issue started when GMA Assistant Vice-President (AVP) for Public Affairs Leogarda Sanchez-Matias informed contractual employees (also known as talents) that their salaries would be reverted to checks, and which will be released upon issuance of an acknowledgment receipt, instead of the usual deposit to their savings accounts. Talents work on the network’s shows as executive producers, associate producers, writers, segment producers/writers, researchers, cameramen, production assistants, and graphic artists, among others.

Members of the Talents Association of GMA (TAG) had filed a regularization case with the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) previously because they did not receive their 13th month pay, a mandatory benefit under the Labor Code. Their bonuses were dependent on the profitability of the programs they work on. Other than the bonus, the complaint also mentioned that the talents did not receive their Christmas bonuses and other benefits such SSS, Pagibig, and PhilHealth.

Santos’s post takes on a more positive yet stirring tone to the issue. While he laments the fact that many employees–talents, in particular–do not feel cared for or valued, they still stand loyal to the network. “Walang natanggap na bonus noong nakaraang Pasko ang mga nagsampa ng reklamo sa NLRC, pero hindi kami tumigil sa paggawa ng mga programa. Ilang miyembro ng TAG ang hindi na muling pinapirma ng kontrata o piniling bumalik sa kumpanya, pero marami rin naman ang bumalik sa kumpanya dahil sa rasong ‘mahal nila ang programa.’ [Those who filed a case against NLRD did not receive their Christmas bonus, but we still did not neglect our jobs. Some members of TAG weren’t asked to renew their contracts or decided not to go back to the network, and yet some of still returned to the company for the reason we love the programs that we do.]”

Santos ended his letter with a note to Gozon saying, “Panahon na sir, para malaman ninyong may mga empleyado kayong matagal na taon nang hindi isinaalang-alang ang sariling kapakanan. Pero hindi po ba’t ang lahat ay may hangganan? [The time has come, sir, for you to know you have employees who put others before themselves. But until when will this last?]” This is in reference to how Santos and his co-talents would spend their own money (despite the lack of it) and work longer hours just to keep their programs running.

According to Bulatlat.com’s report on the issue, TAG called on the Department Of Labor and Employment, NLRC, the Commission on Human Rights, and other concerned government agencies to investigate the matter.The group also asked the support of fellow media workers and the academe in their “fight against labor injustices in the media industry.” It also urged the general public to condemn what it calls the “unabated oppression and harassment by GMA Network, Inc. of its workers.”

Read Santos’s full letter here.

Banner photo courtesy of Wikipedia.