DOLE sees zero strikes for 2011

DAVAO CITY, Sept. 13 (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is optimistic to sustain this zero strike situation until the end of this year.

DOLE XI regional director Atty. Joffrey Suyao announced in yesterday’s Kapihan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao that his office has not yet received any petition from the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

“The National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) is doing its best to settle mediation as soon as possible,” Suyao said.

He added that in a meeting scheduled next week, the board will determine the time to meet and discuss the possibility of a wage hike.

This early, the DOLE has also inspected 1,200 establishments all over the region. Three hundred of the said number was found to have violated the existing wage order.

The board is again set to meet in the coming days to again monitor and consolidate which of the violators have complied with the wage order.

Suyao explained that an establishment is given seven days to correct its violation after a complaint was filed. If there was no compliance made given the time then the DOLE may call for a summary investigation.

“After that 7 days, the office given the violator another 30 days to comply. If the establishment failed to do so, that’s the time we issue a compliance order,” he said.

The purpose of this process is to strengthen conciliation and mediation such that simple labor violations won’t result to legal processes like strikes and lock-outs. (PIA 11/Mai Gevera-Macapagat)

RGA/FMG