Talents Association of GMA Network (TAG) calls on the Supreme Court to expedite the release of the decision on their case, which was submitted as far back as January 2020. The court can demonstrate its support for press freedom by promptly issuing a decision on longstanding issues such as the TAG case, they said.
June 30 marked the tenth year of the GMA workers’ fight for labor rights. In 2015, GMA 7 terminated 200 workers from regional stations as a supposed means of restructuring company operations. In addition, 51 employees, including 10 senior talents of GMA News and Public Affairs, were illegally dismissed after protesting in front of the GMA office against contractualization and the company’s unfair labor practices.
In 2014, more than 100 members of TAG filed a complaint against GMA at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC). They asserted that they should be treated as regular employees because they worked full time for the company. On June 22 of this year, the NLRC declared that they were undoubtedly GMA employees.
The workers also won their case at the Court of Appeals, which ordered GMA Network on February 25, 2020 to reinstate the 51 dismissed employees and restore their benefits and unpaid wages.
The term “talent” refers to media workers whose employment status depends on the contract they signed (such as artists, for example). These workers are employed exclusively by GMA year after year, but they are not made regular employees and are denied benefits.
According to TAG, “we have won in every court while GMA Network continues to deny us our rights. We always win.” Because TAG won at the NLRC and the Court of Appeals, GMA Network elevated the case to the Supreme Court in 2020 to deny that they are regular employees.
“We call on the Supreme Court to fulfill its duty and resolve our case,” TAG appealed.
