BPO firm slammed for ‘firing’ an employee on maternity leave

THE Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) on Sunday slammed the management of Ibex-Global for allegedly firing an employee on maternity leave.

The group said the move violates the employee’s rights. Many female employees in the Philippines, according to KMU, have been subjected to discrimination.

The employee, named only as Tina according to a report on ANC, filed all the necessary papers for her maternity leave but found out upon returning to work that she had already been fired.

“We express our solidarity with Tina and all female contractual employees who have been fired for becoming pregnant. We condemn Ibex-Global, call-center companies and all capitalists who have been violating women workers’ right to enjoy maternity benefits,” Nitz Gonzaga, KMU vice chairman for women’s affairs, said.

The labor leader said the country’s call-center workers are essentially contractual in terms of job security; and female contractual workers, especially in the so-called special economic zones, are being fired for becoming pregnant and are denied maternity benefits.

She said capitalists see nothing but additional cost when they see pregnant employees. “Capitalists do not at all recognize that their profits come from the sweat, tears and sometimes blood of their workers,” Gonzaga lamented.

Article 133 of the Labor Code states that: “Every employer shall grant to any pregnant woman employee who has rendered an aggregate service of at least six months for the last twelve months, maternity leave of at least two weeks prior to the expected date of delivery and another four weeks after normal delivery or abortion, with full pay based on her regular or average weekly wages.” –Jonathan Mayuga, Businessmirror