No labor strike in Cebu Province in 2006

The Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas declared Cebu province as "industrially peaceful" or strike-free in 2006.

DOLE-7 regional director Elias Cayanong said, "so far, no labor strike was recorded in 2006 and to think that Cebu has the reputation of being the business center of the south."

According to Cayanong, a strike-free province or region attracts foreign investors because they want to be secure of their capital investments worth millions or billions of pesos.

"ASEAN businessmen are particularly sensitive to reports about trends in business and conditions of their neighboring countries' industrial climate," Cayanong said.

DOLE-7 attributed the favorable industrial climate in Cebu to the close coordination and networking with the National Conciliation and Mediation Board, the Tripartite Industrial Peace Council and the various chambers of commerce and industry in the region.

Cayanong said the TIPC membership is composed of government that is represented by DOLE officials; management (business sector) and the workers (labor unions) that choose to sit down and talk peacefully on how to achieve a ''win-win" solution in cases of industrial conflicts and strikes.

"The TIPC in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Oriental Negros and in Siquijor have been very much instrumental in thwarting labor-management disputes from developing into labor strikes," Cayanong said.

With the highly successful 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, several economic and trade pacts have been forged among the ASEAN member-countries, and that DOLE hopes Cebu's industrially peaceful atmosphere will encourage foreign investors to come and put up businesses here. - Gregg M. Rubio