Warring groups face off in clarificatory meet

Department of Labor and Employment-7 called for a clarificatory conference between two labor groups with the hope of resolving the conflict as to which of the two is the real union affiliated with the Taipan Development Corporation.

Ma. Teresa Casiño, DOLE-7 legal counsel, called for a dialogue between Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and Independent Labor Association of Workers at the DOLE-7 office yesterday afternoon to clarify that particular issue.

DOLE regional director Elias Cayanong said the result of the dialogue yesterday would still undergo evaluation from the Labor department and will be forwarded to the National Labor Regulation Commission which primarily takes charge of issues involving arbitration and hopefully resolve the conflict.

Cayanong said that DOLE, with regards to the matter, is limited only to the initiation of the labor dispute by meddling on issues involving representation of the parties and cannot dig deeper than arbitration.

He also said although they have failed to contribute to the reconciliation between the two conflicting parties, the labor department is “definitely hoping for that thing to happen the nearest time possible for peace to resume.”

Cayanong is concerned of the foreign investors who might be threatened by the strikes in Cebu. He said they might withdraw their investments which will consequently affect the province’s boosting economy.

The media tried to get comments from Casiño who acted as the mediator-arbiter yesterday. But she referred Cayanong instead to discuss the result of the meeting, as she pointed out that Cayanong is the “appropriate person to talk to” with regards to this matter.

Meanwhile, lawyer Dave Duallo of ILAW pointed out that the labor group, during the signing of Collective Bargaining Agreement, made a commitment not to affiliate with ALU or with any other labor unions for five years.

They are calling for ALU to respect the CBA and the existing union, saying their work term will already be expiring on March 2009 anyway, so they can already be challenged by that time.

ILAW is also asking for the CBA provisions to be followed so that they will not be raising, any further, grievances against Taipan which has currently more than 2,000 employees.

Furthermore, ILAW will be sending a notice of memorandum against those former ILAW members who affiliated with ALU to recommend them for termination for being “disloyal to the ILAW party and for ceasing to be members in good standing.”

ILAW, presided by Juditha Villame, stayed outside of the labor department office with 26 other picketers and held a silent protest, carrying placards and a streamer protesting the alleged illegality and union-raiding of ALU, and in support to Taipan.

They branded former ILAW members as “liars” for spreading stories that they were just receiving P150 salary, when in fact, according to Villame, they are even paid above the minimum wage.

Meanwhile, lawyer Cocoy Jumapao of ALU, defended these assertions by mentioning that ILAW is indeed directly affiliated with ALU since May 26 and that they actually have the documents presented to the DOLE.

He counterattacked their statement by saying that the ILAW’s CBA is defective and the members were just intimidated by Taipan and that they were just perhaps being paid by the management “to keep the truth”.  – Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/MEEV