Christmas has come and gone but instead of thanking their workers for their hard work and the contributions they have made to their respective businesses and workplaces the last twelve months, a lot of employers did just the opposite.

They not only handed out below inflation salaries but even below minimum wage levels. They failed to give their workers the mandatory 13th month pay even while they, the bosses, were quick to give themselves excessive pay and perks, receiving unwarranted allowances, bonuses and incentives.

Private and public executives are wont to giving themselves 100 times or even more than their average worker’s wage. And for what? For attending a board meeting for an hour or two or for sitting on the boards of their companies as trustees and directors?

For instance, there is a so-called champion of the working masses who has delayed payment of his own staff’s salaries by months, not to mention depriving them their 13th month pay and other workers’ benefits.

A labor leader cannot be a labor violator. You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

In the same manner, government officials should be the first to follow the law. They should be the first to remit mandatory workers’ contributions to the Government Service Insurance System and the required payments to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and the Pag-IBIG Fund.

But last December the employees association of Pantabangan municipality in Nueva Ecija held a rally to complain about the non-payment of their salaries and other benefits, including their clothing allowance, 13th month pay and productivity incentives. They also complained about the nonremittance of their premiums to the GSIS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG.

I sure hope the town employees have already been paid by this time.

What’s up in Pantabangan anyway? It is supposed to be a first class municipality and has the highest income among towns and municipalities in Nueva Ecija, and yet Pantabangan seems to be always short of funds.

If you recall, the town also went dark in July last year after power was cut off when the local government failed to pay its past dues owed (around P80 million) to its power supplier.

Mayor Romeo Borja Sr. had also been audited by the Commission on Audit and was found very much wanting.

Please people, this coming election, remember to vote only for candidates who will look after the best interests of your town, city or municipality.

But back to many of our poor workers’ plight.

The Labor department has to be stricter in implementing our labor laws.

Many of our workers are getting Scrooged not only with labor contracting policies and not being paid their 13th month bonuses, but also they aren’t being paid minimum wages, and their social security, PhilHealth and Pag-Ibig contributions aren’t being remitted.

It wasn’t a very merry Christmas for them. And if things don’t change, it won’t be a prosperous new year either.

Trucking problems
Party-list Rep. Arnel Ty of LPG Marketers’ Association, quoting a police intelligence report, recently said that aside from illegal drugs, robbery and kidnapping, crooked politicians are also engaging in hijacking and pilferage of fuel tankers to increase their campaign funds for the coming elections.

“We have received law enforcement intelligence reports showing that fuel thieves have stepped up their criminal activities to help produce fresh campaign funds for certain shady local politicians,” said Ty.

Ty, a member of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy, said corrupt local politicians benefiting from the booty are the same officials giving mafia-like protection to gangs seizing fuel tankers around Metro Manila and Central Luzon.

Well, there is actually a more practical way of transporting fuels that would be immune to pilferage and thievery and that is through the use of pipelines.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has yet to rule on the reopening of the white oil pipeline that was shut down in November 2010 by its writ of kalikasan.

Pipelines can carry great quantities of oil and other products and is the perfect way to carry these substances on long distances.

The 117-kilometer Batangas-to-Manila white oil pipeline which was shut down by the Supreme Court used to supply more than 50 percent of the petroleum products for Pandacan, which is considered the largest and most important depot in the country, as it supplies fuel to 459 stations in Metro Manila and about 1,800 gas stations in Regions 1 to 4.

The Department of Energy previously recommended the reopening of the white oil pipeline after pressure controlled tests confirmed its structural integrity and proved there were no more leaks in the pipeline.

Reopening the pipeline would surely prevent pilferage, thievery and these deadly hijackings of fuel trucks, which have increased since the pipeline was closed.

Less fuel trucks on the road means less hijackings.

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