Palma: Church failed laborers

CEBU, Philippines - With the occurrence of labor-related disputes, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma acknowledged the failure of the Church to successfully educate its flock with their own social teachings, especially on human labor.

This as he called on employers to be more sensitive to the needs of their employees.

During a forum organized by the Visayan Clergy Discernment Group entitled “Best Kept Secret Exposed: Church’s Social Teachings on Human Labor” at St. Theresa’s College, Palma related his personal disappointment with their meager efforts to promote their own teaching.

Palma said that as a result many social troubles have sprouted from their failure.

“In many ways we fail,” Palma admitted.

Following his statements, he added that their efforts will continue to be futile if the public will not act appropriately with their problems especially with the labor sector.

He said employers should be more sympathetic to the immediate needs of their laborers, as without them business would grind to a halt.

Forum keynote speaker Jaro Auxiliary Bishop Garardo Alminaza also told The FREEMAN that they have failed in their responsibility of making the faithful understand of the doctrines of the Church.

He said that because of this failure, society is now suffering adverse effects citing corruption and labor-related disputes to be some of the disappointing outcomes.

Alminaza presented four key principles of the social teaching of the Church which includes respecting human dignity, upholding solidarity and equal sharing of God’s creation, providing options to the poor and vulnerable and restoring dignity of work and right of works.

“Labor is not a commodity; it has inherent priority over capital,” Alminaza stressed, adding that laborers should not be considered as things which can be used and thrown away when no longer needed.

“Human dignity” through their work should be reestablished amidst the lure of temptations coming from society.

“Workers have the right to fair compensation and income distribution,” Alminaza said, “workers should be regarded as equals and should be given due compensation regardless of their social or economical status as their own inherent right as a worker and their employers obligation.”

Alminaza claimed that “workers do not get their fair share of the goods they produce because of the structures of sin, which in turn, breeds greed” which also brings about strikes.

Another speaker, Myrna Berdin said she was unjustly terminated from her work in a garment factory.

Berdin said she was also not allowed leave even when she had urinary tract infection.

Visayan Electric Company Employees’ Union President Casmero Mahilum also said his company treated him unfairly.

He claimed VECO has no clear system of treating their employees, adding that once you are employed with them, you can be transferred anywhere in the company, handling different jobs.

Meanwhile, the VECOEU is set to file tomorrow before the office of the Labor secretary an urgent motion to direct the management from further violating the status quo order of the latter that was issued November 10 last year.

Mahilum said yesterday that the management continues to violate the said order as 13 union members were already ordered suspended and two more members will be suspended this month.

“We are already very alarmed sa gihimo sa management,” Mahilum said.

Mahilum said the suspensions violate the grievance procedures in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and is in utter disregard of the status quo order issued by the labor secretary.

In a press statement, Mahilum said that Anly Nemenzo and Arvin Rodriguez assigned in Systems Operation Department were allegedly caught by the company’s surveillance camera “sleeping” while on duty between 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.

He said that like in the previous cases, they were made to explain without following the grievance procedures in the CBA.

VECO management suspended Nemenzo for 15 days effective February 11 and Rodriguez for 10 days starting February 21.

Mahilum said that the grievance machinery in the CBA prohibits the imposition of any disciplinary action for alleged infraction until after conclusion of the grievance investigation.It further stipulates that the Investigation Board composed of Union and Management representatives shall recommend a disciplinary action after the grievance investigation.

 “This act of management violated the CBA. The illegal suspension is also an outright violation of the status quo order issued by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz which ordered both parties to refrain from doing actions that could worsen the situation while the labor dispute is pending for resolution at the NLRC 7th Division,” said Mahilum.

The union called off their planned strike last November after the Labor Secretary assumed jurisdiction over the ongoing labor dispute between the union and the management

Baldoz, in her intervention in the labor dispute, certified it to the National Labor Relations Commission for compulsory arbitration.

 As an effect of the assumption order, the VECO management gave in to the demand of the union to reinstate Mahilum who was terminated from service last October 28 due to “lack of trust and confidence”.

VECOEU has filed notice of strike for union-busting with various violations allegedly committed by the management which includes harassment, suspension of 21 members without following the grievance procedure and labor-only contracting.—/BRP (FREEMAN)