PJI V JEU - GR No. 192601 - 2013 - Bersamin

 

Philippine Journalist, Inc. V Journal Employees Union & Michael Alfante – Bersamin, J. G.R. No. 192601, June 3, 2013 Digester: Chris’16 FACTS:

Both the Labor rbiter an! NLRC "oun! that the !is#issa$ o" %i&hae$ $"ante 'as $ega$. (n a))e a))ea$ a$ the C #o!i"ie #o!i"ie! ! NLRC’s NLRC’s !e&is !e&ision ion inso" inso"ar ar as the "unera "unera$$ an an! ! be berea rea*e# *e#en entt ai! is &on&erne! but ne*erthe$ess !e&$are! his !is#issa$ $ega$ C ru$e! that $"ante is a$$o'e! to obtaine! "unera$ an! berea*e#ent ai! a"ter the sub#ission o"  &on&$usi*e )roo"s that the !e&ease! is a )arent o" the e#)$o+ee &on&erne!, as 'e$$ as the !eath &erti"i&ate to estab$ish the "a&t o" !eath o" the !e&ease! $ega$ !e)en!ent. he C base! its !e&ision on the Co$$e&ti*e Bargaining gree#ent o" the )arties 'hi&h !i! not )ro*i!e 'ho the $ega$ !e)en!ents o" the e#)$o+ees are -n this )etition, J- #aintaine! that the $ega$ !e)en!ent 'ho shou$! be gi*en "unera$ an! berea*e#ent berea*e #ent ai! #ust be &onsistent 'ith the !e"inition o" $ega$ !e)en!ent !e)en!ent as )ro*i!e! b+ ///. -t argues that the its ear$ier granting o" &$ai#s "or "unera$ an! berea*e#en berea*e#entt ai! 'ithout regar! to the "oregoing !e"inition o" the $ega$ !e)en!ents o" #arrie! or sing$e regu$ar e#)$o+ees !i! not ri)en into a &o#)an+ )o$i&+ 'hose uni$atera$ 'ith!ra'a$ 'ou$! &onstitute a *io$ation o" rti&$e 100 o" the Labor Co!e ISSUE 1:

-s the !enia$ o" J’s &$ai#s "or "unera$ an! berea*e#ent ai! grante! un!er their CB &onstitute a !i#inution o" bene"its in *io$ation o" rti&$e 100 o" the Labor Co!e HELD

es. he &on&urren&e o" a $egiti#ate s)ouse !oes not !isua$i"+ a &hi$! or a )arent o" the e#)$o+ee "ro# being a $ega$ !e)en!ent )ro*i!e! substantia$ e*i!en&e is a!!u&e! to )ro*e the a&tua$ !e)en!en&+ o" the &hi$! or )arent on the su))ort o" the e#)$o+ee. -n this regar!, the !i""e !i""eren rentia tiatio tion n a#ong a#ong the the $ega$ $ega$ !e)e !e)en! n!en ents ts is sig signi" ni"i&a i&ant nt on on$+ $+ in the e* e*en entt th the e CB CB ha has s )res&ribe! a hierar&h+ a#ong the# "or the granting o" a bene"it4 hen&e, the use o" the ter#s )ri#ar+ bene"i&iaries an! se&on!ar+ bene"i&iaries bene"i&iaries "or that )ur)ose. But &onsi!ering that /e&tion 5, rti&$e --- o" the CB has not in&$u!e! that !i""erentiation, )etitioner ha! no basis to !en+ the &$ai# "or "unera$ an! berea*e#ent ai! o" $"ante "or the !eath o" his )arent 'hose !eath an! "a&t o" $ega$ !e)en!en&+ on hi# &ou$! be substantia$$+ )ro*e! ursuan ursu antt to rti& rti&$e $e 100 100 o" the the Labo Laborr Co Co!e !e,, )etit )etition ioner er as the e#)$o e#)$o+e +err &o &ou$! u$! no nott re!u&e re!u&e,, !i#inish, !is&ontinue or e$i#inate an+ bene"it an! su))$e#ent being en7o+e! b+ or grante! to its e#)$o+ees. his )rohibition against the !i#inution o" bene"its is "oun!e! on the &onstitutiona$ #an!ate to )rote&t the rights o" 'or8ers an! to )ro#ote their 'e$"are an! to a""or! $abor "u$$ )rote&tion. he a))$i&ation o" the )rohibition against the !i#inution o" bene"its )resu))oses that a &o#)an+ )ra&ti&e, )o$i&+ or tra!ition "a*orab$e to the e#)$o+ees has been &$ear$+ estab$ishe!4 an! that the )a+#ents #a!e b+ the e#)$o+er )ursuant to the )ra&ti&e, )o$i&+, or tra!ition ha*e ri)ene! into bene"its en7o+e! b+ the#. o be &onsi!ere! as a )ra&ti&e, )o$i&+ or tra!ition, ho'e*er, the gi*ing o" the bene"its shou$! ha*e been !one o*er a $ong )erio! o" ti#e, an! #ust be sho'n to ha*e been &onsistent an! !e$iberate. -t is re$e*ant to #ention that 'e ha*e not +et sett$e! on the s)e&i"i& #ini#u# nu#ber o" +ears as the $ength o" ti#e su""i&ient to ri)en the )ra&ti&e, )o$i&+ or tra!ition into a bene"it that the e#)$o+er &annot uni$atera$$+ 'ith!ra'

 

-t is "urther 'orth+ to note that )etitioner grante! &$ai#s "or "unera$ an! berea*e#ent ai! as ear$+ as 1999, then issue! a #e#oran!u# in 2000 to &orre&t its erroneous inter)retation o"  $ega$ !e)en!ent un!er /e&tion 5, rti&$e --- o" the CB. his not'ithstan!ing, the 20012005 CB sti$$ &ontaine! the sa#e )ro*ision granting "unera$ or berea*e#ent berea*e#ent ai! in &ase o" the !eath o" a $ega$ $ega$ !e)en !e)en!e !ent nt o" a regu$a regu$arr e# e#)$o )$o+e +ee e 'itho 'ithout ut !i""e !i""eren rentia tiatin ting g th the e $ega$ $ega$ !e !e)e )en! n!en ents ts a&&or!ing to the e#)$o+ees &i*i$ status as #arrie! or sing$e. he &ontinuit+ in the grant o" the "unera$ an! berea*e#ent ai! to regu$ar e#)$o+ees "or the !eath o" their $ega$ !e)en!ents has un!oubte!$+ ri)ene! into a &o#)an+ )o$i&+. ;ith that, the !enia$ o" $"antes ua$i"ie! &$ai# "or  su&h bene"it )ursuant to /e&tion 5, rti&$e --- o" the CB *io$ate! the $a' )rohibiting the !i#inution o" bene"its.