A coffin made of cardboard was laid in front of the Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital in Bacolod City marked the “Day of Mourning in the Hospital” yesterday of the 16 members of its employees union who were terminated last week. They also asked for donations from doctors, jeepney drivers, and private citizens who passed by the area.

Roberto Villaram, BOLMSHEU president said, the coffin symbolized their mourning for all the labor injustices they have experienced with the hospital management.

He said this is the second time they were terminated with the first in December 30, 2009 when the hospital management outsourced the janitorial and orderly jobs.

Villarin said he thought they had already won the battle against illegal termination yet they became victims for the second time.

This, however, will not stop them from bringing their cause to the higher courts, he said.

Villaram also said their union is asking for donations from labor groups and employees’ unions in Bacolod City to be used for expenses for the filing of their petition for certiorari at the Court of Appeals assailing the decision of the 7th Division of the National Labor Commission of Cebu City that their termination was valid.

The decision of NLRC Cebu came out on December 29, 2011 that revoked the order of Labor Arbiter Henry Tañoso of NLRC Bacolod affirming the illegal termination claim of the workers, which was signed and concurred by its Presiding Commissioner Violeta Bantug and Commissioner Julie Rendoque, respectively.

The decision also acknowledged the move of the BOLMSH administration abolishing its janitorial and orderly departments, as a management prerogative. *LTG

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