Fishing firm: 43 ‘abandoned’ fishermen not our employees
Fishing company Citra Mina on Wednesday denied that the 43 Filipino fishermen who were supposedly abandoned in Indonesia for six months were its employees
“To set the record straight: the 43 fishermen hereto alleged are not fishermen workers nor employees of Citra Mina,” the firm's spokesman Fred Lumba said in an email to GMA News Online.
He added that the fishermen, who were arrested off Ternate, North Maluku, in August last year for alleged illegal fishing, were employed by one Felisa Abe, owner of the fishing boat Love Merben.
At the time of their arrest, the fishermen, who arrived home last Monday after six months in detention, did not possess any travel documents.
Liaison work
Lumba also denied that the company did nothing to repatriate the fishermen, saying they served as liaison between Abe and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“We assisted her (Abe) by doing liaison work with the DFA since September last year,” he said.
Workers' groups Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Maggagawa (SENTRO) and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) had accused Citra Mina of abandoning the fishermen following their arrests.
The two groups said it was them who worked for the repatriation of the 43 after the fishermen were abandoned by the General Santos City-based Citra Mina.
But according to Lumba, IUF and SENTRO “did not spend a single centavo for the repatriation process,” citing DFA Consul General in Manado Jose dela Rosa Burgos.
“I told them that if they wanted to help, they can give food or clothing. You can quote me on this,” Lumba quoted Burgos as saying during their meeting last Monday.
He said it was the DFA which shouldered the airfare of the 43 fishermen.
Retrenched workers
Meanwhile, Lumba also clarified that they did not illegally terminate the 237 workers SENTRO and IUF accused them of dismissing due to involvement in unions.
He said the Citra Mina Seafood Corporation (CMSC) closed in September 2013 after changing operations from processing fresh frozen tuna to cooked loin and canned tuna.
“We retrenched the entire 180-employee workforce with prior approval from the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), giving each employee all benefits accruing them under the law, including separation pay checks before signing quitclaims witnessed by DOLE officials," Lumba said.
He added that only 12 CMSC workers refused to accept their separation pay and Citra Mina's Return-To-Work Order, issued last Aug 12, 2014, offering them to return to the canning company.
The House committee on labor and employment will hold a hearing on the fishing industry and Citra Mina on March 18.
Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello told GMA News Online last February 20 that subpoenas may be issued to the company should it refuse to attend the hearing. —KBK, GMA News
“To set the record straight: the 43 fishermen hereto alleged are not fishermen workers nor employees of Citra Mina,” the firm's spokesman Fred Lumba said in an email to GMA News Online.
He added that the fishermen, who were arrested off Ternate, North Maluku, in August last year for alleged illegal fishing, were employed by one Felisa Abe, owner of the fishing boat Love Merben.
At the time of their arrest, the fishermen, who arrived home last Monday after six months in detention, did not possess any travel documents.
Liaison work
Lumba also denied that the company did nothing to repatriate the fishermen, saying they served as liaison between Abe and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“We assisted her (Abe) by doing liaison work with the DFA since September last year,” he said.
Workers' groups Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Maggagawa (SENTRO) and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) had accused Citra Mina of abandoning the fishermen following their arrests.
The two groups said it was them who worked for the repatriation of the 43 after the fishermen were abandoned by the General Santos City-based Citra Mina.
But according to Lumba, IUF and SENTRO “did not spend a single centavo for the repatriation process,” citing DFA Consul General in Manado Jose dela Rosa Burgos.
“I told them that if they wanted to help, they can give food or clothing. You can quote me on this,” Lumba quoted Burgos as saying during their meeting last Monday.
He said it was the DFA which shouldered the airfare of the 43 fishermen.
Retrenched workers
Meanwhile, Lumba also clarified that they did not illegally terminate the 237 workers SENTRO and IUF accused them of dismissing due to involvement in unions.
He said the Citra Mina Seafood Corporation (CMSC) closed in September 2013 after changing operations from processing fresh frozen tuna to cooked loin and canned tuna.
“We retrenched the entire 180-employee workforce with prior approval from the DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), giving each employee all benefits accruing them under the law, including separation pay checks before signing quitclaims witnessed by DOLE officials," Lumba said.
He added that only 12 CMSC workers refused to accept their separation pay and Citra Mina's Return-To-Work Order, issued last Aug 12, 2014, offering them to return to the canning company.
The House committee on labor and employment will hold a hearing on the fishing industry and Citra Mina on March 18.
Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello told GMA News Online last February 20 that subpoenas may be issued to the company should it refuse to attend the hearing. —KBK, GMA News
Comments