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Lepanto labor dispute remains unsolved

BAGUIO CITY (May 11) — Mine workers in the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo) brace themselves as they anticipate the results of the conciliation meetings between the union leaders and the company. A strike is inevitable as the negotiations remain unresolved.

The officers of the Lepanto Employees’ Union (LEU) are set to conduct a consultation with their members regarding the result of the latest conciliation meeting between the union and the management of LCMCo’s Lepanto Mine Division (LMD).

This was after the management denied the union’s recent proposal of general wage increases of P26 for the 1st year, P29 for the 2nd year and P33 for the 3rd year in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). LEU’s earlier proposal was P27 for the first and second years and 40 for the third year.

The management instead offered P21 for the 1st yr, P26 for the 2nd yr and P29 for the 3rd yr.

The conciliation meeting started at 1 p.m. at the office of the National Conciliation Mediation Board-Cordillera Administrative Region (NCMB-CAR) last May 10. Four items were calendared to be discussed in the said meeting but only the first item, which was on wage increase, was discussed. Items regarding monthly housing allowance, rest day and separation pay were not tackled.

Last May 8, the company offered P20-P23-P25 for wage increases. The management said this was their last offer. The management even walked-out to pressure the union officers to give in to the company’s offer.

This is the 7th meeting between the union and the management after the former filed a Notice of Strike (NOS) for deadlock of CBA negotiations. There were still no items agreed upon in the past meetings.

In the meeting last April 29 and 30, the management proposed to retain the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and the provision of ambulances of the last CBA. The management offered that in case of emergencies in the mine site, all available vehicles would be used.

The 37-day cooling off period after the filing of NOS of LEU ends on May 12. After which, the LEU can stage a strike if negotiations fail.

The Lepanto Security Force Union (LSFU) plans to join should LEU stage a atrike. The LSFU too filed an NOS last April 13 and the cooling off period ended last May 10.# Aldwin Quitasol for NORDIS

(See separate story on DOLE’s Assumption of Jurisdiction order)

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