52 Kapuso talents jobless by 2015

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MANILA – Fifty-two Kapuso employees are fighting for their regularization as long-time employees are on the brink of losing their jobs by next year.

The said 52 employees are from the Talents Association of GMA (TAG). They are the ones who refused to sign their revised contract because they are being relocated to other short-lived shows of GMA.

Despite working for the network for years, they are still being considered by GMA as contractual. Thus, they do not enjoy security of tenure, let alone other benefits that regular employees have.

Majority of them are working behind the screens to deliver GMA-7’s most rated programs, including public affairs shows.

They have already filed their complaints before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in a bid to change the system. However, GMA-7 criticized this move.

According to TAG President Christian Cabaluna, this is GMA-7’s “divide and conquer tactic.” The network only allowed half of the protesting talents to continue with their contracts after 2014. Only the senior members were offered to stay but under the same employment system.

Patricio said that they have no hard feelings against former TAG members who decided to leave the group and agree with the network’s terms in order to have the assurance of a monthly income.

Mike Manalaysay, associate producer of Imbestigador, said that majority of the talents who decided to continue working for GMA are those who are considered bread winners in their families.

“We have long thought about this,” said Manalaysay referring to the lawsuit they charged against GMA-7.