Yellow Bus Line Employees Union (Ybleu) v. Yellow Bus Line

Summary

This Supreme Court case involved the dismissal of two Yellow Bus Line drivers for negligence in separate vehicular accidents. The Panel of Voluntary Arbitrators initially ruled the dismissals illegal, finding the accidents were force majeure and that a compromise agreement existed. However, the Court of Appeals reversed this decision, and the Supreme Court affirmed. The Supreme Court held that both drivers were grossly negligent - Gardonia for illegally overtaking at an intersection resulting in fatalities, and Querol for reckless driving causing property damage. While the dismissals were valid under Article 282 of the Labor Code, the employer failed to follow proper due process procedures by combining the notice of charges with the dismissal decision in a single document. Consequently, each driver was awarded P30,000 in nominal damages for the procedural violation, despite the validity of their termination for just cause.