The National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) has ordered GMA Network Inc. to pay P21 million in back wages to more than 30 illegally dismissed employees.

The 11-page decision also ordered the reinstatement of the employees, who are members of the Talents Association of GMA-7 (TAG).

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The NLRC said only 35 out of 53 petitioners were considered illegally dismissed. The other 15 were not covered by the decision for their unauthorized absences. The NLRC also did not include the three of the complainants, one of whom resigned, the other terminated due to embezzled company funds and another one dismissed in 2011, which is beyond the prescriptive period of 4 years.

The NLRC earlier ruled that the TAG members were “entitled to security of tenure and all benefits and rights appurtenant thereto.” It was in response to a 2014 case filed by the employees, claiming that GMA-7 denied them of regularization status despite long years of service to the company.

The network filed a motion for reconsideration but it was junked by NLRC in January 2016 for lack of merit.

Based on the earlier ruling, the NLRC ordered the network to reinstate the workers and provide “payment of back wages computed from the date of their dismissal up to the time of their actual reinstatement without loss of seniority rights and other privileges.”

GMA will have to pay a total of P21,429,366 in back wages. RAM/rga

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