By CARINE ASUTILLA
ABS-CBN Cebu
Some 87 employees of the Sulpicio Lines Inc. (SLI) were laid off Friday as the shipping company’s ferry vessels remain grounded.
Joy Lim, information officer of the Cebu-based Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, said the 87 employees were crewmembers of three ferry vessels -- Princess of the Caribbean, Cagayan Princess and Palawan Princess.
Majority of the laid off workers were messmen, stewards and housekeeping personnel of the ferry vessels.
The three ferry vessels were docked at the Manila port and were undergoing inspection by the Maritime Industry Authority.
The SLI has 22 passenger vessels, which also carry cargoes.
All vessels were ordered grounded after the ill-fated M/V Princess of the Stars capsized off the waters of Sibuyan Island in Romblon province at the height of Typhoon Frank last month.
The vessel was carrying more than 800 passengers and crews when it capsized.
Lim said the laid off workers were still at the SLI office in Manila waiting for the management to provide them tickets to go home.
Some 141 ship workers were also laid off by the shipping company last week, the labor group said.
He said the labor group will try to convince management to reconsider its decision.
However, he said they cannot blame the shipping firm for laying off the employees because it has been losing money since its passenger vessels have been grounded.
The government has however allowed SLI to continue its cargo operations.
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