MANILA, Philippines – Sa botong 197 pabor, pasado na sa Kamara sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ang panukalang magtatakda ng compulsory insurance coverage sa mga electrical at telecommunications line workers.
Ayon kay House Majority Leader at Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, isa sa pangunahing may akda ng House Bill 7239 o Line Workers Insurance and Benefits Act, na mahalaga ang ginagampanang tungkulin ng mga electrical at telecom workers kaya nararapat lamang na mabigyan ito ng seguridad sa kanilang pagganap ng trabaho.
“These personnel of electricity producers and distributors and telecommunications companies play an indispensable role in and contributing a large part to economic growth. They are among our workers who keep the economy going,” pahayag ni Marcos.
“Because of the important job they do and the risks they are exposed to, they should be entitled to and given commensurate benefits, including mandatory insurance coverage,” dagdag pa nito.
Sakop ng panukala ang line workers na nasa permanent man o contractual basta nasa linya ng construction, installation, maintenance, reconstruction, repair ng overhead transmission kabilang ang underground cables, electrical substations at iba pang electrical equipment at facilities.
Kasama dito ang mga manggagawa na nasa telecommunications companies, telecommunications line contractors, power line contractors, private distribution utilities (PDUs), electric cooperatives (ECs) at transmission o grid operator.
Ang mandatory life at accident o disability insurance benefits para sa mga maliit na kooperatiba ay P200,000, P400,000 naman sa medium cooperativess, P600,000 sa large, P800,000 sa extra large at P1 million sa mega large.
Ang line workers naman ng National Transmission Corporation at transmission line o grid operator ay magkakaroon ng minimum insurance benefit na P2 million; habang sa nga PDUs at P1.5 million.
Sa ilalim ng panukala ang insurance premiums ay solong babalikatin ng mga employer.
Ang mga kumpanya na mayroon nang ibinibigay na insurance coverage sa katumbas o mas mataas pa sa nasabing panukala ay hindi na sakop habang ang mga kumpanya na maliit ang insurance coverage ay kailangang sumunud sa bagong panukala.
Maliban sa insurance benefits, dapat ding bigyan ng mga employers ang kanilang line workers ng dagag na benepisyo gaya ng retirement benefits, mortuary assistance, disability benefits, partial disability benefits at reimbursement ng actual medical expenses sa kaso ng pagkamatay, accident, sickness, disability, o injury na natamo habang nasa duty.
Inaatasan ang National Electrification Administration, Department of Labor and Employment and Energy Regulatory Commission, distribution utilities, telecommunications sector na syang magpalasb ng rules na regulations sa pagpapatupad ng panukala. Gail Mendoza
