Salcon workers seek counter proposal to CBA from mgmt 

Workers of Salcon Power Corporation yesterday urged the management to submit its counterproposal to the union’s collective bargaining agreement.

This following the recent decision of the Department of Labor and Employment that affirmed the legitimacy of the Salcon Power Independent Union and dismissing the appeal of the SPC management for the cancellation of the union’s registration.

“Wherefore, the appeal by Salcon Power Corporation is hereby dismissed for lack of merit, and the Resolution dated 21 June 2007 of DOLE VII Director Elias Cayanong is hereby affirmed,” said Rebecca Chato of the DOLE-Bureau of Labor Relations in a recent decision.

Gaudioso Iso Jr., SPIU president said, that they are glad that the DOLE national office has affirmed the legitimacy of their union. But he added that his group will remain vigilant and cautious of their actions because they are aware that since the beginning, the management’s stand is really anti-union.

With the decision, the union members expect that the officials of SPC will recognize their union and negotiate with them on their demands.

Joel Tolentino, union secretary, claimed that since they have submitted their CBA proposal to the management last year, the SPC continued to ignore the union’s right to collectively bargain, citing their petition for the cancellation of the union registration.

Under the law, he said the management should submit its counterproposal 10 days upon receipt of the union’s CBA.

“While legally speaking, no more obstacles when it comes to negotiation but we will remain cautious and vigilant and strengthen further our union so we can effectively serve the public,” SPIU said in a statement.

“Now that the decision of BLR-Manila is favorable on our side, we wish to inform the public that we will be negotiating in good faith. We expect the same from Salcon management,” it added.   

On March 14, SPIU members filed a notice of strike before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board because Salcon allegedly refused to recognize their union despite an order from DOLE naming SPIU as the official bargaining agent of the company.

The NCMB is now trying to settle the labor dispute between the management and the workers to prevent a strike.

Salcon management earlier said that it will look into the union’s CBA proposal after the DOLE issues is decision on its petition questioning the legality of the union. — Wenna A. Berondo/LPM