Dispute at Gaisano-Mactan Labor groups lift strike for talks with company

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines yesterday led the second day labor strike at Gaisano-Mactan to protest the termination of nine personnel of the company but later in the day decided to lift temporarily the strike to give way to talks set for today.

ALU-TUCP spokesperson Josefina “Joy” Lim said her group will have an afternoon dialogue with the management and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board over the labor row, but she added that the strike will resume if the Department of Labor and Employment still fails to convince Taipan Development Corp., to reinstate the workers.

Earlier, NCMB officials, headed by regional director Edmundo Mirasol, told ALU-TUCP to hold off the strike yet while the board conduct talks with the management first for solution to the row.

The ALU-TUCP and the 40 union officers, however pushed through with their strike yesterday, accusing NCMB of ineffective efforts to mediate and conciliate over the labor dispute.

Among the terminated or suspended employees, who were also officers of the union, were Silvia Osable, Grace Anusaon, Evelyn Pacaña, Luzviminda Cantancio and Fely Añora.

Two months ago, two of these personnel were terminated while seven of them were suspended then reassigned to company locations far from the workers’ residences, the labor groups alleged.

ALU-TUCP further alleged that the employees were not granted termination fees, because the management said that its audit had claimed there were missing items during the term of service of these workers.

Lim said the management had “insidiously made these personnel appear to be liable of an offense they had not committed.” These personnel were alleged to have work for the company for 15 years already, she said.

The labor groups have asked the company to reinstate the terminated and suspended union workers instead of leaving them jobless. They filed a notice of strike last month, accusing the management of “unfair labor practices.”

In another newspaper however, the lawyer of the management accused ALU-TUCP of “having no personality to deal with the management,” and that the workers’ union of the company had disowned any affiliation with Lim’s groups.

The union will even file today at DOLE-7 a complaint against ALU-TUCP for alleged “union-raiding,” the paper reported.

The management lawyer, Erlinda Boiser Ramos, was also quoted by the paper as saying that the employees, who have been the subject of the labor protests, were “terminated for cause.”  — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/RAE