LABOR authorities ordered electric taxi operator AMRC Holdings to draw up a work manual covering drivers’ working hours, health conditions and safety measures following concerns over long shifts and revenue targets.
Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino was after the Department of Labor and Employment investigated the death of Green GSM driver Arnel Cruz.
Tolentino said the company should establish clearer internal rules as Dole continues to look into its labor and occupational safety practices.
‘Come up with a manual. If you still don’t have one, take into consideration the health condition of the drivers,’ Tolentino told company representatives during a hearing.
Cruz was found unconscious near an electric post while waiting near a charging station and was later declared dead on arrival at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City.
He had been employed for 23 days.
His death certificate listed presumed acute myocardial infarction or heart attack as the cause of death.
Dole inspectors determined that drivers receive P755 for eight online working hours and may earn additional incentives after meeting a daily revenue target.
Counsel for some drivers said workers need to generate P2,000 in revenues to qualify for incentives, while a P2,500 target is required for those who want to take their assigned vehicles home.
He said reaching the higher target could require some drivers to remain online for more than 12 or 13 hours, apart from another two to four hours that may be spent waiting for vehicles to charge.
The drivers’ counsel also alleged that workers were not being paid overtime for hours beyond their regular shifts and that some probationary employees had been cited for inefficiency after failing to meet the P2,000 target.
AMRC maintained that drivers have discretion over when to start and end their trips and are not required to extend their shifts.
Company representatives also said that drivers are not required to personally charge their vehicles before turning them over, with some units handled under a separate charging arrangement.
Tolentino, nevertheless, raised the need to clarify how overtime pay should be treated when drivers work beyond their regular hours.
He also said the company should consider the health conditions of drivers assigned to early morning and night shifts and ensure that adequate medical and safety support is available.
The drivers’ counsel asked that existing employment practices should also be considered in drafting the manual, warning against changes that could worsen current working conditions.
He claimed that the revenue target had increased from P1,800 to P2,500 without consultation with workers, which allegedly pushed some drivers to work longer hours to qualify for incentives.
Inspectors also found several labor and occupational safety deficiencies at AMRC, including the failure to present payroll records and proof of statutory remittances.
The company was also cited for having no occupational safety and health program, trained safety officers, certified first aid personnel and proof of mandatory safety orientation for workers.
Tolentino directed the Dole Metro Manila office to continue its investigation and ensure that AMRC complies with occupational health and safety requirements within its correction period.
He also warned the company against dismissing, withholding vehicles from or changing the schedules of drivers who participated in the hearing, saying such actions could amount to constructive dismissal.