Officers of Anita's unions trade barbs

CEBU, Philippines – The Anita’s Home Bakeshop Inc. Employees Association has insisted that the Collective Bargaining Agreement it entered into with the bakeshop management was duly ratified by the great majority of the employees, including those that have jump-shipped to the labor group affiliated with the Kilusang Mayo Uno.

AHBIEA labor consultant and operations director, Emmanuel B. Cañete, said it was only after they where dismissed from service when the former members of AHBIEA reportedly sought refuge with Anita’s Home Bakeshop Workers Union-Alliance of Nationalists Genuine Labor Organization-Kilusang Mayo Uno.

“It was only when they were dismissed by the company because of their involvement in various dishonesty offenses did they seek refuge with ANGLO-KMU through Elpedio Caterbas, who readily accepted them despite their derogatory company records,” Cañete said.

Cañete said that if Caterbas truly just wanted to protect the interests of the workers, he should have first conducted a background check of the dismissed employees.

Caterbas earlier alleged said the CBA that Cañete presented to members of AHBIEA was “deceitful” because it allegedly did not follow the representation issue provided under Article 256 of the Labor Code, or showed legal proof as basis in processing and concluding a legitimate CBA.

Cañete earlier accused Wennie Badayos, chairman of the Alyansa sa Mamumuo sa Sugbo- KMU of union raiding and collecting union dues as high as 50 percent of the workers’ income.

AHBIEA, the duly recognized collective bargaining representative of all rank-and-file employees of Anita’s Home Bakeshop, Inc. has urged AHBWU-ANGLO-KMU to stop from its alleged harassment tactics.

AHBIEA expressed concern over the recent incident during the conference called by the Department of Labor and Employment wherein a KMU sympathizer alleged grabbed and threatened AHBIEA union president Guilberto Burog.

“KMU sympathizers were visibly irked when I was accompanied by placard-bearing members of our union who greatly outnumbered KMU’s. The silent majority will no longer be silent. Our union shall not be moved by the harassment employed by leftist KMU goons to my members,” Burug had said in a separate statement.

“Caterbas and his goons should pack up their things and leave before they will taste the resentment of the majority of workers of Anita’s Home Bakeshop, Inc. Here in Anita’s Bakeshop, Inc., the so-called tyranny of the few KMU’s will never succeed,” Burog added. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO (THE FREEMAN)