DoLE settles 4 labor disputes, helps forge 2 CBA agreements

MANILA, Philippines—As the labor disputes in Hacienda Luisita, ABS-CBN, and Philippine Airline rages on, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has helped resolve four labor disputes in four regions.

In a news release, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz cited a report from the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) which said the unions thus withdrew their notices of strike. These were Ever Provident Trading in Metro Manila, Clark Electric Distribution Corporation in Region 3 (Central Luzon), Dyna Image Corporation Philippines in Region 4-A (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), and Treasure Steel Works Corporation in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao).

“The withdrawal of the notices of strike came after conciliation-mediation proceedings successfully settled the dispute between the contending parties,” said Baldoz.

In his report, NCMB Executive Director Reynaldo Ubaldo said the parties at Ever Provident Trading agreed on the grant of financial assistance to 11 affected workers amounting to P 46,000 as full payment of their financial claims.

Ubaldo said the union at Clark Electric agreed to withdraw the notice of strike it filed with NCMB and to exercise other options under the law. The union president at Dyna Image Corp. also manifested for the dismissal of their labor dispute.

On the other hand, the parties at the Treasure Steel Works labor dispute also mutually agreed on the across the board implementation of the wage increase granted by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Region 10.

Ubaldo said the parties would implement the P13 wage increase mandated by Wage Order X-15 in Region 10 retroactive July 1, 2010, as well as the integration of the P12 cost of living allowance into the basic salary of the covered employees upon affectivity of said wage order.

In addition, the parties agreed to maintain the P16 allowance previously granted by the company.

Likewise, the parties agreed to implement the job evaluation/classification once Treasure Steel Works has fully operationalized its billet plant and blast furnace.

In a related news item, the NCMB had facilitated the forging of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) at Thai Airways International Public Company Ltd. and its union, the Thai Airways International Local Employees Association. Both parties mutually agreed on an economic package amounting to P1,996,488.00 for the first three years of their CBA, an amount that would benefit 26 workers. The parties’ CBA takes effect on January 1, 2010 and will be valid up to December 31, 2014.

In addition, the parties agreed to submit to voluntary arbitration issues on the provisions on the scope of the bargaining unit and the monthly reimbursable transportation expense for sales representatives.

Another company that had successfully concluded CBA negotiations with its union is Moca Inc. (Aloha Hotel), which agreed with Golden Gate Hotel Employees Union to an estimated economic package amounting to P343,699.20 which amount will benefit 68 covered workers. The CBA takes effect from August 16, 2010 up to August 15, 2013. –INQUIRER.net