The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is expected to decide Monday whether to issue a work stoppage order against the company that owns the MV June Aster, which caught fire in waters off Coron, Palawan, in September, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said.
Tolentino said the Atienza Shipping Lines would undergo a final evaluation on Monday following the discovery of multiple alleged violations of occupational safety and health standards (OSHS) and general labor standards.
“Magkakaroon ng final evaluation ngayong Lunes na may posibilidad na magkakaroon ng work stoppage order isasara na yung Atienza shipping,” Tolentino said on Oct. 12.
The DOLE held a hearing with Atienza Shipping management on Friday regarding the MV June Aster incident. During the hearing, officials also established the whereabouts of the vessel, Tolentino said.
He added that two other vessels operated by the company were found in Navotas on Saturday and were inspected by labor inspectors from the DOLE National Capital Region (NCR).
The inspections uncovered several alleged safety violations, including the absence of a safety officer, an emergency preparedness plan and an occupational safety and health program, according to Tolentino.
“Una wala silang safety officer, walang emergency preparedness plan, walang OSHS program,“ Labor chief said.
The department also found potential violations of general labor standards involving the computation and payment of workers’ wages.
Tolentino said the company’s management had been directed to correct its wage-related violations and ensure that workers were paid properly within 10 days.
“Sa labor standard naman may computation din na hindi sila nagpapasahod ng tama, so binigyan na rin ng direktiba ang employer, management ng Atienza shipping na 10 days na pasuwelduhin na ng tama,” he stressed.
The vessel caught fire on Sept. 9 while sailing from Manila to Palawan. Of the 128 passengers and crew members listed in the manifest, 77 died and 43 survived, according to recent reports.
