The 21 employees of Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI), parent company of the Ceres bus liners, who were reportedly sacked for going on Absent Without Leave (AWOL) have expressed confidence that they will be able to regain back their former jobs.

The employees with their legal adviser, Atty. Joemax Ortiz, attended the closed-door hearing yesterday at the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) office in Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City.

According to Ortiz, the hearing was good as it was “conciliatory” and the terminated workers were allowed to express their side before the VTI representatives.

Ortiz said the sacked workers are just asking the company to allow them to regain their jobs.

“Whatever the Yanson family is feuding right now should stay in court, but in the meantime the employees should not be dragged and affected by the current dispute,” Ortiz said.

The lawyer also forwarded several complaints coming from the side of the sacked workers, claiming that they and their families are prohibited by security guards from riding Ceres buses.

“This is a transport business, even if they are your enemies or not, they have no business to order them to get out, it’s very unfair,” Ortiz pointed out.

The lawyer further added the second hearing was reset to December 10 as the VTI representatives claimed that there is a board meeting next week, wherein negotiations will also take place between the company and labor unions.

Once it is not resolved, Ortiz said the case will be forwarded to the NLRC Labor Arbiter and a resolution should be released within one month.

By the first week of January, Ortiz said they will know if the sacked employees will be reinstated.

Watchmen Daily Journal tried to reach VTI representatives but they refused claiming the company’s media relations office is the only one who can release a statement./DGB, WDJ