Region 8’s record for industrial peace cited

TACLOBAN CITY — The labor and management sectors in Eastern Visayas were lauded for the absence of labor strikes in the past seven years.

In his visit here last week, Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Undersecretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac cited the region as a “shining example” in the country for consistently achieving industrial peace.

“You have proven the worth of tripartism. All that we can do is to keep it up and do better. Be a shining example for the entire country,” Mr. Cacdac said in a media briefing at the sidelines of the general assembly of the regional tripartite industrial peace council (RTIPC).

The last strike in the region recorded by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) was staged on Feb. 24, 2003 by employees of the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative in Borongan, Eastern Samar.

The NCMB reported that three notices of strike were filed last year by Hideco Sugar Milling Company, Inc. in Kananga, Leyte; Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining (PASAR) Corporation in Isabel, Leyte; and Don Oresters Romualdez Electric Cooperative in Tolosa, Leyte.

“No strike actually took place because of effective conciliation efforts,” said DoLE regional director Forter G. Puguon.

Rene V. de los Reyes, administrative assistant at Energy Development Corp. and RTIPC labor sector representative, told BusinessWorld that it has been a habit of workers in the region to sit down with management if there are problems instead of staging strikes.

“It’s no longer mature to be marching on the streets. That seven long years passed without strike is evidence that we have been producing results,” Mr. de los Reyes said.

“Listening first before talking and that’s the essence of being a laborer. It is so hard to find a job so we have to support the company,” he added.

For his part, Sherlock A. Codilla, senior manager for industrial and community relations of the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp. (PASAR), said they were able to sustain industrial peace by implementing a company-level grievance machinery.

“Corporate social responsibility was also extended to unorganized workers in the region to achieve the same labor management cooperation,” Mr. Codilla added.

Of the 23,000 establishments in the region, Mr. de los Reyes said only 284 are “considered to be socially and economically relevant because they can hire people and produce much money.”

“This region needs so much help,” he said.

“Almost all of the firms are family-based and have no employment capability,” he added. — SQM, Businessworld