MANILA — Dairy company, Magnolia, Inc., said Wednesday it was one of the companies identified by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in a list of firms engaged or believed to be engaged in labor-only contracting.
In a statement, Magnolia said the 2,248 affected employees in the department’s list, are not their workers but are employed by their service provider, which it did not identify.
“We believe that our inclusion in the list stems not from our contracting of labor but from the use of certain machinery and equipment leased by a DOLE-accredited independent service provider, whose workers maintain and operate them,” said the company, which is a subsidiary of San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc.
“They, not our workers and employees, are the subject of concern of the Department of Labor and Employment,“ it added.
The company said it is coordinating with the department to address the matter.
It said all its partners should “exercise the same care that we do when it comes to ensuring that workers’ rights — including security of tenure and all benefits provided for in the Labor Code and prevailing laws — are fully protected.”
“As such, we are committed to working with our providers,” Magnolia said, noting that it has always worked to protect the rights of its employees.
On Monday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III released the names of top 20 companies that are engaged or suspected to be engaged in labor-only contracting. Magnolia was number 10 on the list. –PNA
