Labor union to negotiate with company, end strike

CEBU, Philippines - Workers union of Galeo Equipment and Mining Company, which filed a notice of strike after 11 of its officers were terminated, is set to negotiate with the company today for possible rehiring and abortion of a planned labor strike.

Dennis Derige, spokesperson of Partido ng Manggagawa and organizer of the Alliance of Genuine Labor Organization, of which GEMC union is affiliated, said yesterday that union officers and management of Carmen Copper Corporation are set to negotiate before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board-7 today.

“There is a possibility that the terminated 11 union officers will be rehired and a possibility also that the strike may no longer push through,” Derige said.

  GEMC is a contractor of Carmen Copper Corporation mining site in Toledo City that hauls mine waste from the open pit.

Its union of workers filed a notice of strike last June 5, the same day when 11 of its officers were preventively suspended after they failed to render overtime work.

 Aside from charging the company of illegal suspension, the union also claimed that it committed union-busting and non-payment of benefits.

Meanwhile, Derige said that a certification election is expected to be held among the workers of Carmen Copper Corporation, whose union were earlier stripped off the right to bargain collectively with the management.

“Para wala’y samok, mag-election  na lang mi. Hopefully, within the year,” said Derige.

It can be recalled that the Panaghiusa sa Mamumuo sa Carmen Copper Corporation-AGLO have filed a notice of strike against the company twice for alleged union-busting.

However, in March, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz issued an order designating PAMCC-AGLO as administrator of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and not its sole bargaining agent.

In view of such order, Carmen Copper no longer recognized PAMCC-AGLO as the company’s employees union. (FREEMAN)