Dear Atty. Acosta,
ITATANONG KO lang po kung tama na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa po naibibigay ang back pay ng asawa ko ng kanyang agency. December pa po nag-resign ang asawa ko. May nakuha po ang aking asawa ngayong Mayo, pero hindi pa rin po lahat ng back pay niya. Pinapaasa na lamang po kami. Sana po ay matulungan ninyo kami.
June
Dear June,
HINDI PO tama na hindi ibigay ng dating agency ng iyong asawa ang kanyang back pay. Ito ay sa kadahilanang pinagpaguran ito ng iyong asawa. Kung hanggang sa ngayon ay hindi pa rin ibinibigay ang back pay ng iyong asawa, maaari ninyong idulog sa Department of Labor and Employment ang inyong hinaing kung ang kabuuang halaga ng back pay na hindi pa ibinibigay sa iyong asawa ay hindi lalampas sa Php 5,000.00.
Ito ay naaayon sa Article 129 ng Labor Code na nagsasaad na:
“ART. 129. RECOVERY OF WAGES, SIMPLE MONEY CLAIMS AND OTHER BENEFITS. – Upon complaint of any interested party, the regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment or any of the duly authorized hearing officers of the Department is empowered, through summary proceeding and after due notice, to hear and decide any matter involving the recovery of wages and other monetary claims and benefits, including legal interest, owing to an employee or person employed in domestic or household service or househelper under this Code, arising from employer-employee relations: Provided, That such complaint does not include a claim for reinstatement; Provided, further, That the aggregate money claim of each employee or househelper does not exceed Five Thousand pesos (P5,000.00). x x x”
Sa kabilang banda, kung ang kabuuang halaga ng back pay ay lampas sa Php 5,000.00, dapat na ilapit ninyo ang inyong hinaing sa Labor Arbiter ng National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).
Ito naman ay naaayon sa Article 217 ng Labor Code na nagsasaad na:
“ART. 217. JURISDICTION OF LABOR ARBITERS AND THE COMMISSION. – (a) Except as otherwise provided under this Code, the Labor Arbiters shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide within thirty (30) calendar days after the submission of the case by the parties for decision without extension, even in the absence of stenographic notes, the following cases involving all workers, whether agricultural or non-agricultural x x x
6. Except claims for Employees Compensation, Social Security, Medicare and maternity benefits, all other claims, arising from employer-employee relations, including those of persons in domestic or household service, involving an amount exceeding five thousand pesos (P5,000.00) regardless of whether accompanied with a claim for reinstatement. x x x”
Malinaw sa mga nabanggit na probisyon ng batas na ang tamang ahensya ng gobyerno na siyang makakatulong sa inyong hinaing ay ang DOLE o ang Labor Arbiter ng NLRC.
Nawa ay nabigyang-kasagutan namin ang inyong katanungan.
Atorni First
By Atty. Persida Acosta
