Government media workers are also entitled to a comprehensive compensation package, benefits and protection under the law, senators said on Monday as they tackled the measure seeking to enhance the security and welfare of employees in the media industry.
During the hearing of the Senate labor panel, Senators Joel Villanueva and Imee Marcos expressed concern over the exclusion of government media workers in the coverage of the proposed Media Workers' Welfare Act.
The House's version of the bill, which the chamber approved in January, states that the provisions of the measure only apply to "all media workers and media entities in the private sector."
Lawyer Perry Solis of the Presidential Task Force of Media Security told lawmakers that it was difficult to include government media workers in the bill as their employment is governed by the Civil Service Law, not the Labor Code, and their compensations are defined by salary grades.
"Gusto sana namin isama ang lahat ng media workers dito. But yun nga ang nagiging issue, dahil sa magkaibang batas na naggo-govern sa government [workers] as against the private sector," he said.
Marcos replied that by excluding government media workers in the measure, "you are excluding a very poorly paid group as well as saying that the government is the chief violator of the Labor Code."
Villanueva also found Solis' statement as a "flimsy excuse" not to include government media workers in the coverage of the bill. "They are part of the media sector. Hindi naman pwede na yung poprotektahan lang natin ay yung nasa private sector," he said.
Villanueva said he would find a solution to include government media workers in the bill as the panel continues to deliberate on the measure.
Under the bill, media workers will be entitled to receive the applicable minimum wage rate as prescribed in their region, overtime pay, night shift premiums, hazard pay, and insurance benefits in case of death or injury in line of duty.