More CBAs clinched outside NCMB — DoLE

The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) reported that the number of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) concluded at the plant level continues to rise and cited the industrial peace the country enjoys at present.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said in 2012, some 168 companies concluded their CBAs with their respective unions without the intervention of the DoLE’s National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB). This means 168 fewer cases that would have entered the dockets of the board.

Records of the NCMB show that some 436 CBAs expired in 2012 and only 114 needed the intervention of the board through notices of strike/lockout (NSL) and preventive mediation (PM) cases, 88 of which were successfully concluded. Some 26 CBA negotiations subject of NSL and PM cases are still pending.

Baldoz credits the rising number of CBAs concluded without government intervention under the present administration to labor and management’s growing maturity and their high level of trust and respect for each other.

This also manifests their belief in the system of collective bargaining as a state policy of regulating labor-management relations, specifically in the setting of disputes and other terms and conditions of work.

She added that the high level of mutual trust and respect likewise mirrors the effectiveness of the government alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, such as labor-management councils/committees (LMCs) and grievance machinery (GM), which the NCMB continues to promote in both organized and unorganized establishments.

LMCs and GMs facilitate communication, build mutual trust, foster cordial relations, encourage cooperation and joint problem-solving processes, and minimize the occurrence of disputes.

There are some 2,092 LMCs and 2,284 GMs existing nationwide as of Nov. 30, 2012, according to NCMB data.

These mechanisms continue to benefit workers and employers in terms of best management practices, improved communication lines, improved productivity, corporate social responsibility and reduced incidence or labor disputes. –Mina Diaz, Daily Tribune