Late salary causes 'minor disturbance' at Comelec warehouse in Sta. Rosa

A "minor disturbance" occurred at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rented warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, on Thursday after a delay over workers' salary.

According to Karen Jimeno, head of voter education for technology provider Smartmatic, the scuffle occurred after some workers tried to withdraw from their ATM accounts and found that the pay for the period was not yet in.

The accounts were supposed to be credited by the night before the supposed pay day on Thursday.

The workers involved were assigned to production and dispatch.

"When salaries were not paid yesterday, some workers refused to work and stayed outside the warehouse. Some were vocal with their complaints," Jimeno said in a message.

Jimeno said the contractor, Ventures Link, worked out the issue and the workers received their salary by 9 a.m. Friday.

She added that they have gone back to work since.

At least a thousand workers are involved at the Sta. Rosa warehouse in the testing of a total of 97,000 vote counting machines leased by Comelec for the May polls. —KBK, GMA News