KEPCO unions start protest actions

CEBU, Philippines- The supervisors and rank and file unions of the Korean Power Corporation-Salcon Power Corporation and other labor unions kicked off their week-long protest against the company yesterday.

Dennis Derige, spokesperson of Partidong Manggagawa-Cebu, said the first protest was held outside the regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment  in Cebu City.

It was participated not only by the KSPC union members but also as by members of PM, Bukluranng Manggagawang Pilipino, and Alliance of Progressive Labor-Sentro.

The groups originally planned to rally at the KSPC power plant in Naga City today, but Derige said they decided to cancel the same to pave the way for the continuation of the conciliation and mediation between the management and union at the National Conciliation and Medication Board-7.

“So far, wala gyud positive outcome sa among conciliation and mediation. To be continued ni ugma,” Derige said last night.

Derige said the protest will end on August 20 as a prelude to a strike if nothing positive is agreed upon between the union and the management.

The union officials said earlier that they expected to launch the strike on August 22, the same day the Asia Pacific Economic Conference 2015 meetings in Cebu will begin.  Earlier, Jose Tomongha, chairman of the Alliance of Progressive Labor-Sentro, warned there will be rotational brownouts once the strike pushes through.

The Kepco Cebu Supervisors Union and the Kepco Cebu Employees Association have filed a notice of strike but KSPC legal counsel Alan Fontanosa said the same would be illegal.

Fontanosa earlier explained that they did not consider KCEA as the sole bargaining agent of the company for lack of certificate of recognition from the Department of Labor and Employment.

KCSA was not recognized by the company as there was a failure on the part of the former to get the majority of the supervisors.  KSPC owns and operates a 200-megawatt modern coal-fired power plant and supplies power to the Visayas grid, mainly to the electric cooperatives of Cebu, Negros and Bohol.  (FREEMAN)