The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is mulling the issuance of a show cause order against bus companies that have failed to pay their bus conductors' salaries.
"At this point in time, the board will have to consider the issuance of a show cause order on the bus operators for them to explain before the board why they are not paying the salaries of their employees," LTFRB Chairman Martin B. Delgra III said in a virtual briefing.
Several conductors from five bus companies plying the EDSA Busway under the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) free ride program staged a protest on Monday, June 7, to call for the release of their salaries, which have been delayed for a few months now.
According to Delgra, bus operators have the obligation to pay the conductors since they are their employees. Failure to do so could earn them stiff penalties.
"One clear sanction is that there will be fines. Penalties will range from fines to cancellation of the franchise. I hope it will not get that far in having to cancel their franchise because this problem of non-payment, as I have said, is internal to the company," he added.
The LTFRB chief also explained that payouts under its service contracting program are continuously being processed and distributed to beneficiaries.
Based on the latest data from the LTFRB, over P738 million in cash aid were already disbursed to bus operators under the program. Of the figure, more than P223 million was released for the EDSA Busway.
Delgra said that they can help the affected conductors file a complaint before the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) if the non-payment persists.
"This is an employee-employer relationship in which the employer has the obligation to give the salary due to employees. We will have to take that up also in court," he added.
Meanwhile, Delgra reminded displaced public transport workers, including drivers and conductors, that more livelihood opportunities are in store for them under the programs of the DOTr.
Apart from working in the government, some groups in the private sector, such as motorcycle-taxi firm JoyRide, have also reached out to the DOTr to help the affected employees by providing them alternative jobs that are still transport-related.