DOTr’s Tugade orders PNR, LRTA, MRT3 to hire qualified laid off LRT1 employees

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Wednesday ordered the railway authorities under its wing to absorb some of the laid off workers of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1) operator Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC).

In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Tugade instructed the Philippine National Railways (PNR), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) to hire “qualified retrenched employees from LRT1.”

“Hire qualified personnel to our rail lines and projects. Kawawa ang mga tao. Kung kailan pandemya, tsaka pa sila mawawalan ng trabaho,” Tugade said.

“We must look into the possibility of absorbing them as quickly as we can. Huwag natin silang pabayaan. It’s the least and most humane thing we can do for them at this time,” he said.

On Tuesday, the LRMC said over 100 employees or close to 20% of its workforce will be retrenched  “due to a significant 90% drop in ridership brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

LRMC said the “right-sizing” of its workforce is aimed to better suit the current and future business conditions, as well as maintain stability while navigating through the uncertainty of this global crisis.

The right-sizing program will take effect on September 15, 2020.

“We thank the DOTr for the assistance in reviewing how to remedy the displacement of affected LRMC employees. We continue to partner with the government on this issue, and remain open to recalibrate our plans,” LRMC said in a separate statement.

Meanwhile, Tugade called on the LRMC to subject all their personnel to swabbing.

“They should swab all their people. Cost is not the primary issue here. We can discuss who absorbs the cost at some later time. What matters most is the health and safety of commuters and their employees,” he said.

The Transportation chief, likewise, instructed PNR general manager Junn Magno and Assistant Secretary Fidel Cruz to thoroughly review the health and safety protocols being implemented by LRMC for COVID-19.

With this, LRMC said it has always honored its commitment to protect the health and safety of employees and passengers.

“We have ramped up our disinfection measures using Ultraviolet C (UVC) technology, deployed thermal cameras for entry screening, and developed a contact tracing app feature for the public to receive the protection they deserve,” it said.

“In line with Department of Health (DOH) testing guidelines, LRMC has so far adopted a strategic, risk-based testing approach for the conduct of RT-PCR tests among its employees. Through an internal contact tracing protocol based on the DOH criteria, LRMC has prioritized those with symptoms (suspect cases) and those with exposures to confirmed cases,” it added.

LRMC said it has also instituted other measures such as disinfecting mats, hygiene supply provisions, and required daily health checks for all visitors and staff at LRT1 stations, facilities, and the depot.

“LRMC ensures that it is up-to-date with the passenger, sanitation, and safety promotion guidelines required for operation by the DOH and IATF, and will continue to work with DOTr on their concerns,” the company said.—AOL/LDF, GMA News