Return to work, please

To prevent a possible garbage crisis in Metro Manila, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday appealed to striking garbage truck drivers and collectors to return to work immediately.

Labor Assistant Secretary and Spokesman Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio said they have asked the employees of REN Transport Corp. to return to work as the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) tries to work out an amicable settlement of the pending labor dispute.

"We are calling on the workers to return to work because of the injunction order (against a strike), and so as not to exacerbate the pending labor dispute," Bitonio pointed out.

He explained that DOLE need not issue a return to work order because the NLRC already has a directive restraining workers from mounting a strike.

"When NLRC issued the directive, the workers were not yet on strike so it would be inappropriate for us to issue a return to work since there is a standing order for them not to go on strike," Bitonio said. "Apparently, there is non-compliance with the NLRC directive and whether there would be legal consequences would be taken up in the NLRC proceedings."

About 600 garbage truck drivers and collectors of REN Transport went on strike the other day to protest alleged unfair labor practices committed by the management.

The workers complained of delayed payment of salaries, illegal deductions, alterations of employment records, gross violation of collective bargaining agreements and the illegal dismissal of 49 union officers and other employees.

Romualdo Hernandez, spokesman of Samahan ng mga Manggagawa sa Ren Transport (SMART), said the strike is now on its second day of strike and that operations of REN Transport have been completely paralyzed.

The strike affected garbage hauling operations in San Juan, Muntinlupa, Malabon and Montalban, Rizal.

NLRC has set a meeting with the striking workers and management on Sept. 14.

At this time, DOLE is only monitoring the strike because the case it already with the NLRC and beyond the jurisdiction of DOLE.

Meanwhile, the city government of Muntinlupa has closed deals with other hauling firms that would temporarily collect garbage following the strike of garbage truck drivers and collectors in Metro Manila.

City Environment Sanitation Council chief Lorna Misa said City Hall has hired the services of 30 trucks from seven private firms from Laguna and Metro Manila to replace the 30 units of REN Transport.

However, the deal would be terminated once the dispute between REN employees and management is settled.

Although the newly hired trucks would be enough to meet the 150-ton daily collection requirement, Misa said they needed to adjust the schedule of collection because the trucks have to travel all the way from Laguna.

"The city requires two trips to meet all collection needs of its nine barangays. So we ask for a little patience from our constituents because they may be delayed by three hours at the most," she explained. — With Edu Punay