Mirant employees urged to submit formal request for Napocor assistance

National Power Corp. (Napocor) president Cyril del Callar is urging employees of Mirant Philippines Inc. to submit their formal request for assistance from Napocor.

"We are willing to listen to them. But we need them to provide us with information on the status of the separation package they are asking from Mirant Corp.," Del Callar told reporters over the weekend.

Del Callar said the extent of help that they may give would "depend on the merits of the information provided to us."

Napocor wants Mirant to seek prior consent before Mirant proceeds with the equity sale.

Specifically, Mirant employees have asked Napocor to make the severance pay as part of the transaction documents for the sale of Mirant Philippines’ equity to ensure that the employees’ welfare is protected.

Up to now, the employees of Mirant Philippines claim that there are no clearer and more definite guidelines on their separation packages should any of them be retrenched as a result of the planned sale of the company by the US-based Mirant Corp.

A source who declined to be named said that employees are "uneasy" over the assurance given by Mirant Philippines president Jose Leviste Jr., that employees will be treated fairly.

"At present the company has no written separation policy. At best what the company has are practices which are not binding on the new owners should they decide to fire people," the source said.

The source added that the close to 1,200 employees of the company will lobby for the payment of two and a half months of pay for every year of service once the sale is consummated.

"Employees feel that this is only fair considering that they have made Mirant one of the top profit makers in the country all these years," the source said.

The source said they may raised this concern to the Napocor which has yet to give its consent to the sale.

"They are hoping that Napocor will take up their cause and that of the Filipino worker by compelling Mirant to protect their years of service by paying severance once the sale is completed as Mirant should not pass this burden to the new owner," the source said.

Leviste, during a Congressional hearing earlier this week said that Mirant employees are among the best compensated in the industry, and that the company presently has a generous severance package.