Jollibee: We comply with labor laws

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has ordered Jollibee Foods Corp. to regularize some 6,482 of its workers deployed by two contractors in Metro Manila.

According to DOLE Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod, Jollibee will have to provide “regular employment status” to the concerned workers.  

Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) said in a statement that the company had received the order from the DOLE and the firm is following the process the department had prescribed to appeal the order.

“JFC remains committed to complying with the law and DO 174, which allows contracting arrangements with legitimate service providers. In compliance with regulations, we only deal with reputable service contractors that have been duly accredited and registered with DOLE. We have been cooperating and will continue to cooperate with DOLE,” JFC said.

DOLE also ordered the company to refund illegally collected payments to 426 affected workers in the amount of P15,432,305 for Coop Share, Coop Christmas Party Paluwagan Fund, and Coop Savings Fund.

Based on a report of DOLE National Capital Region director Henry John Jalbuena, five of Jollibee’s contractors were also ordered to return unlawful wage deductions, bonds, donations, shares and other illegal payment collections to 412 affected workers amounting to P4,137,158.15.

The five contractors are Citiwide Basic Commodities and Manpower Services Inc., Generation One Resource Service and Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Collected COOP Shares, Integral Care Formation Service Cooperative and Toptrend Service Corp.

Aside from Jollibee, DOLE had also issued a compliance order to Perf Restaurant also known as Burger King, directing them to regularize 704 workers deployed by three contractors.

DOLE has set schedules for establishment inspection on McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants to ensure their compliance with labor laws.  

Adi Timbol-Hernandez, public relations and communications senior manager of McDonald’s Philippines, assured the public yesterday that the company has been complying with labor policies. 

“Last February 2017, McDonald’s restaurants of Golden Arches Development Corp. were awarded with a certificate of compliance for both general labor standards and occupational safety and health standards by DOLE,” she said.

Hernandez added since McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in the Philippines in 1981, “we did not practice contractualization and for our restaurants, we have always adopted a direct hiring policy.”