THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers appealed to officials of the Department Education to resolve the alleged labor problems faced by the DepEd TV staff.

The group said that it received reports that the majority of the personnel contracted for Deped TV had not been paid. Some were hired in September this year.

“Magpa-Pasko at may pamilya ang mga karaniwang empleyadong ito. They took the job for economic gain, especially with the crisis amid the pandemic. It is the height of injustice to make them suffer due to the government’s neglect and ineptitude,” Raymond Basilio, ACT secretary general, said in a statement.

The DepEd TV staff were hired through a private manpower agency. The Education department reportedly said that these employees have not been paid because the budget for DepEd TV was not included in the agency’s 2020 budget.

“The violation of labor rights of DepEd TV staff is unspeakable. For months these hapless employees were producing output through their own means — their own computers, internet and electricity expenses — under the work-from-home set-up, but they were not getting any for all their work,” Basilio said.

“This problem is yet another proof of the extent of the government’s unpreparedness and incompetence in implementing distance learning,” he added.

ACT called on DepEd officials to swiftly find a solution to the problem and ensure that the DepEd TV staff will be paid their salaries before Christmas.