Senate Panel okays Night Differential for gov't workers

The Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization, and Professional Regulation, led by its Chairman Sen. Bong Revilla, and the Senate Committee on Finance has jointly approved Comm. Report No. 13 which seeks to institutionalize the night shift differential pay for government employees.

SBN 643, filed and sponsored by Sen. Bong Revilla, seeks the granting of night shift differential in recognition of the effort of the employees who work beyond regular working hours and extend their schedule to serve the people.

The veteran lawmaker cited that it is important in ensuring the safety, security and productivity of employees, since working at night time takes a toll on any person's health, property, and life.

Under the measure, an employee is entitled to receive a maximum of 20 % of his basic rate per hour from 6 pm to 6 am. Aside from government workers, employees of Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) are also entitled.

However, public health workers covered by R.A. 7305, government employees whose schedule falls between 6 am and 6 pm or are on -call 24 hours a day (uniformed personnel of the Armed Force of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection) are exempted from the night shift differential.

NIGHT DIFFERENTIAL FOR GOV’T WORKERS NI REVILLA, APRUBADO NA

APRUBADO na ng Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Organization, at Professional Regulation, sa pangunguna ng Chairman nito na si Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr., at ng Senate Committee on Finance ay magkasamang inaprubahan ang Comm. Report No. 13 na naglalayong magkaroon ng night shift differential pay para sa mga government employees.

Ang (Senate Bill No. 643) na isinumite at sponsored ni Revilla ay bilang pagkilala sa hirap ng mga nagtatrabaho sa gobyerno na hindi nabibigyang pansin ang karaniwang paglagpas nila sa takdang oras ng trabaho.

Ayon kay Revilla napakahalaga na masiguro ang kaligtasan at productivity ng mga manggagawa , lalo pa kung sa gabi sila nakatalaga o naatasang magtrabaho na mas may banta sa kanilang kalusugan, pag-aari at buhay.

Sa ilalim ng naturang batas , ang bawat manggagawa ay makakatanggap ng 20 porsiyento o maximum ng basic rate kada oras mula alas 6 ng gabi hanggang alas 6 ng umaga at maging ang Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) ay may Karapatan din.

Samantala ang public health workers na sakop ng R.A. 7305, ay ang mga government employees na ang schedule ay nasa pagitan ng 6 ng umaga hanggang alas 6 ng gabi o ‘yung mga on –call 24 hours a day.

Hindi naman kabilang sa night shift differential ang ang mga uniformed personnel tulad ng Armed Force of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, at Bureau of Fire Protection.