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Lepanto faces 2 unions in CBA

BAGUIO CITY (Mar. 11) — The management of the Lepanto Mine Division (LMD) of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo) is facing two negotiating panels representing two unions in the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) negotiations. The Lepanto Employees’ Union (LEU) of the rank-and-file workers has a total membership of 1,908 and the Lepanto Security Force Union (LSFU) for the company guards has 25 members.

As of the recent negotiation on March 5, the LEU and the LCMCo still had to conclude the economic aspect of the CBA for the year 2004-2007. The management offered its counter-proposal on the wage increase of the workers. The management added P1 to the allotted increase in the previous CBA provisions wage increase. There is a moratorium in the first year of the implementation; on the 2nd year it will be P11/day and P13/day on the third year respectively. These proposals are retroactive starting Nov. 17, 2004. The proposal of LEU is P90/day from the original demand of P100/day for three consecutive years.

The management also offered its counter-proposal on the acting allowance for the workers. It was set at P50 from the original P45. The proposal on the Rest Leave was deferred by the union as the parties cannot reach a final agreement regarding the matter.

In the afternoon of the same date after the LEU and the management meeting, the LSFU took to the negotiating table. The LSFU finally managed to resume their negotiations with the management after the suspension of the two part consecutive meetings. The negotiation of LSFU and the management is on the economic aspect of their CBA for the year 2004-2007.

In the negotiation, the union and the management after many meetings have agreed only on the provision regarding the financial assistance on account of death involving an employee. The family of the employee will receive an amount of P25,000 if he dies while on duty; P15,000 for the family if the employees death is not work-related and P7,000 for the death of any of the employee’s dependents. The union’s proposal was 50,000 for the employee’s death while on duty. P30,000 for the death if out of duty and P15,000 for the dependent’s death.

The LEU and LSFU presented their CBA economic and non-economic proposals to the representatives of LCMCo in the series of negotiations. The management denied most of the proposals of the two unions as it presented its counter-proposals with in a lesser quantity or amount. The management complained of the monetary content of the two union’s CBA proposals despite the company’s declaration of retained earnings of P2.7 billion for the year 2002 and P2.5 billion for the year 2003. # Aldwin. Quitasol for NORDIS

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