G.R. No. 173154
December 9, 2013
SANGWOO PHILIPPINES, INC. !"#or SANG I$ %ANG, %ISSO %ANG, WISSO %ANG !" NOR&ER'O 'ADEO,Petitioners, 'ADEO, Petitioners, vs. SANGWOO PHILIPPINES, INC. E(PLO)EE *NION + OLALIA, rere-e!e" b/ PORERIA SALI&ONGCOGON, SALI&ONGCOGON ,1, Respondents. x---------------x G.R. No. 173229 SANGWOO PHILIPPINES, INC. E(PLO)EES *NION + OLALIA, rere-e!e" b/ PORERIA SALI&ONGCOGON, Petitioners, SALI&ONGCOGON, Petitioners, vs. SANGWOO PHILIPPINES, INC. !"#or SANG I$ %ANG, %ISSO %ANG, WISSO %ANG, !" NORE&ER'O 'ADEO, Respondents. 'ADEO, Respondents. DECISION PERLAS+&ERNA&E,
J.:
Facts: On Jul !", !##$, durin% t&e collective 'ar%ainin% a%ree(ent )C*+ ne%otiations 'eteen San%oo P&ilippines, Inc. E(ploees nion / Olalia )SPE and San%oo P&ilippines, Inc.)SPI, t&e latter 0iled it& t&e Depart(ent o0 1a'or and E(plo(ent )DO1E a letter-notice o0 te(porar suspension o0 operations 0or one )2 (ont&, 'e%innin% Septe('er 2", !##$, due to lac3 o0 orders 0ro( its 'uers. SPE as 0urnis&ed a cop o0 t&e said letter. Ne%otiations Ne%otiations on t&e C*+, &oever, continued and on Septe('er 2#, !##$, t&e parties si%ned a &andritten 4e(orandu( o0 +%ree(ent, &ic&, &ic&, a(on% ot&ers, speci0ied speci0ied t&e e(ploees5 a%es and 'ene0its 0or 0or t&e next to to )! ears, and t&at in t&e event o0 a te(porar s&utdon, all (ac&ineries and ra (aterials ould not 'e ta3en out o0 t&e SPI pre(ises. On Septe('er 2", !##$,SPI te(poraril ceased operations. 6&erea0ter, it successivel 0iled to )! letters it& t&e DO1E, cop 0urnis&ed SPE, 0or t&e extension o0 t&e te(porar s&utdon until 4arc& 2", !##7. 4ean&ile, on Octo'er !8, !##$, SPE 0iled a co(plaint 0or un0air la'or practice, ille%al closure, ille%al dis(issal, da(a%es and attorne5s 0ees 'e0ore t&e Re%ional +r'itration *ranc& *ranc& I9 o0 t&e N1RC. N1RC. Su'seuentl, Su'seuentl, or on Fe'ruar Fe'ruar 2!, !##7, SPI SPI posted, in conspicuous places it&in t&e co(pan pre(ises, notices o0 its per(anent closure and cessation o0 'usiness operations, e00ective 4arc& 2;, !##7, due to serious econo(ic losses and 0inancial reverses. 6&e DO1E as 0urnis&ed a cop o0 said notice on Fe'ruar 2$, !##7, to%et&er it& a separate letter noti0in% it o0 t&e co(pan5s per(anent closure. SPE as also 0urnis&ed it& a cop o0 t&e notice o0 per(anent closure. Fort&it&, SPI o00ered separation 'ene0its o0 one-&al0 )< (ont& pa 0or ever ear o0 service to eac& o0 its e(ploees. !$7 e(ploees o0 SPI accepted t&e o00er, received t&e said su(s and executed uitclai(s. 6&ose &o re0used t&e o00er, i.e., t&e (inorit e(ploees, ere nevert&eless %iven until 4arc& !", !##7 to accept t&eir c&ec3s and correspondin%l, correspondin%l, execute uitclai(s. =oever, t&e (inorit e(ploees did not clai( t&e said c&ec3s. ISSES: a &et&er or not t&e (inorit e(ploees are entitled to separation pa> and
' &et&er or not SPI co(plied it& t&e notice reuire(ent o0 +rticle !?@ )0or(erl +rticle !8$ o0 t&e 1a'or Code. . A. Non-entitlement to Separation Benefits.
+rticle A!?@B o0 t&e 1a'or Code does not o'li%ate an e(ploer to pa separation 'ene0its &en t&e closure is due to serious losses. 6o reuire an e(ploer to 'e %enerous &en it is no lon%er in a position to do so, in our vie, ould 'e undul oppressive, unust, and un0air to t&e e(ploer. Ours is a sste( o0 las, and t&e la in protectin% t&e ri%&ts o0 t&e or3in% (an, aut&ories neit&er t&e oppression nor t&e sel0-destruction o0 t&e e(ploer. In t&is case, t&e 1+, N1RC, and t&e C+ all consistentl 0ound t&at SPI indeed su00ered 0ro( serious 'usiness losses &ic& resulted in its per(anent s&utdon and accordin%l, &eld t&e co(pan5s closure to 'e valid. It is a rule t&at a'sent an s&oin% t&at t&e 0indin%s o0 0act o0 t&e la'or tri'unals and t&e appellate court are not supported ' evidence on record or t&e ud%(ent is 'ased on a (isappre&ension o0 0acts, t&e Court s&all not exa(ine a ne t&e evidence su'(itted ' t&e parties. Per0orce, it&out an co %ent reason to deviate 0ro( t&e 0indin%s on t&e validit o0 SPI5s closure, t&e Court t&us &olds t&at SPI is not o'li%ed to %ive separation 'ene0its to t&e (inorit e(ploees pursuant to +rticle !?@ o0 t&e 1a'or Code as interpreted in t&e case o0 Galaxie. +s suc&, SPI s&ould not 'e directed to %ive 0inancial assistance a(ountin% to P2",###.## to eac& o0 t&e (inorit e(ploees 'ased on t&e For(al O00er o0 Settle(ent. I0 at all, suc& 0or(al o00er s&ould 'e dee(ed onl as a calculated (ove on SPI5s part to 0urt&er (ini(ie t&e expenses t&at it ill 'e 'ound to incur s&ould liti%ation dra% on, and not as an indication t&at it as still 0inanciall sustaina'le. =oever, since SPE c&ose not to accept, said o00er did not ripen into an en0orcea'le o'li%ation on t&e part o0 SPI 0ro( &ic& 0inancial assistance could &ave 'een realied ' t&e (inorit e(ploees. B.Insufficient Notice of Closure.
+rticle !?@ o0 t&e 1a'or Code provides t&at 'e0ore an e(ploee is ter(inated due to closure o0 'usiness, it (ust %ive a one )2 (ont& prior ritten notice to t&e e(ploee and to t&e DO1E. In t&is relation, case la instructs t&at it is t&e personal ri%&t o0 t&e e(ploee to 'e personall in0or(ed o0 &is proposed dis(issal as ell as t&e reasons t&ere0or> and suc& reuire(ent o0 notice is not a (ere tec&nicalit or 0or(alit &ic& t&e e(ploer (a dispense it&. Since t&e purpose o0 previous notice is to, a(on% ot&ers, %ive t&e e(ploee so(e ti(e to prepare 0or t&e eventual loss o0 &is o', t&e e(ploer &as t&e positive dut to in0or( eac& and ever e(ploee o0 t&eir i(pendin% ter(ination o0 e(plo(ent. 6o t&is end, urisprudence states t&at an e(ploer5s act o0 postin% notices to t&is e00ect in conspicuous areas in t&e or3place is not enou%&. 9eril, 0or so(et&in% as si%ni0icant as t&e involuntar loss o0 one5s e(plo(ent, not&in% less t&an an individuall-addressed notice o0 dis(issal supplied to eac& or3er is proper. +s enunciated in t&e case o0 Galaxie: Finall, it& re%ard to t&e notice reuire(ent, t&e 1a'or +r'iter 0ound, and it as up&eld ' t&e N1RC and t&e Court o0 +ppeals, t&at t&e ritten notice o0 closure or cessation o0 Galaxie’s 'usiness operations as posted on t&e co(pan 'ulletin 'oard one (ont& prior to its e00ectivit. 'e mere o-! o! e com!/ be! bor" "oe- !o, o6eer, mee e re8reme! !"er Arce 297: o; <-er! 6re! !oce o! e 6or=er-.<6&e purpose o0 t&e ritten notice is to in0or( t&e e(ploees o0 t&e speci0ic date o0 ter(ination or closure o0 'usiness operations, and (ust 'e served upon t&e( at least one (ont& 'e0ore t&e date o0 e00ectivit to %ive t&e( su00icient ti(e to (a3e t&e necessar arran%e(ent. I! or"er o mee e ;oreo! ro-e, -erce o; e 6re! !oce m- be m"e !""/ o! ec !" eer/ emo/ee o; e com!/
