VECO employees union holds protest at NLRC

CEBU, Philippines – The Visayan Electric Company Employees’ Union-ALU-TUCP yesterday held an indignation rally at the vicinity of the National Labor Relations Commission Seventh Division to dramatize the union members’ disappointment over an impending dismissal of their motion for reconsideration.

The union filed in July 12 the motion seeking to reconsider the labor court’s decision legalizing VECO’s alleged non-compliance of the Grievance Procedure in the Collective Bargaining Agreement as well as legalizing the dismissal of its union president, Casmero A. Mahilum.

Mahilum, in a statement, said they received a hint yesterday that their motion for reconsideration would be dismissed because of the NLRC’s decision not to release anymore his salaries and benefits.

Mahilum said this is an implied admission from the NLRC that it has already decided the case even before receiving the motion for reconsideration. The union still has until July 22, 2011 to submit its motion for reconsideration.

Mahilum said that he was informed by an NLRC staff in-charged in the releasing of salaries and benefits that he would no longer be allowed to withdraw the same in view of the decision of the NLRC on the certified case.

Mahilum said VECO has withheld his salaries and benefits since the March 22, 2011 ruling of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz that allows his reinstatement in the payroll.

“The NLRC, instead of enforcing the Order of the Labor Secretary, likewise, withheld the salary of the Union President which was deposited last June 2011,” the statement reads.

Mahilum said that yesterday’s indignation rally is only one of the series of protest actions that will be undertaken by the union in the coming days. (FREEMAN)