The Talents Association of GMA Network (TAG) called for job security for colleagues at CNN Philippines amid ‘reliable information’ they received that around 60 employees have been fired on January 11 due to ‘right-sizing.’
In a statement, TAG said most of the dismissed employees came from News and Current Affairs production including producers, graphic artists, video editors and cameramen and some personnel from Engineering, Technical Operations, Creatives and IT were also sacked. About a hundred others were also laid off by the company in September 2015, reportedly for the same ‘rightsizing’ reason.
CNN Philippines in 2015 said they hired too many people when they started and made adjustments to their current needs.
With the possible sacking of its employees, TAG recalled illegal dismissal and unfair labor practices experienced by contractual workers in GMA, ABS-CBN and TV5 and the termination of veteran journalists in TV5 ‘with no clear and valid reasons.’
TAG’s own labor woes started in 2014 when they sought for union recognition and regularization from GMA Network.
“We continue to call the attention of media stakeholders and legislators to address the issues faced by the industry—such as the existence of the talent/project employee/independent contractor system (aka contractual workers), the absence if not lack of benefits and security of tenure, and weak union systems,” TAG said.
TAG also remarked on the proliferation of fake news from government supporters “who harass news men and women for doing their jobs, in search of truth,” a situation that calls for support for news institutions.
“That support begins and ends with protecting the welfare of the workers who risk their lives everyday doing this job,” ended TAG.
