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Lepanto strike intensifies despite DOLE’s return to work order

PNP deputized to disperse picketlines

BAGUIO CITY (June 10) — The Lepanto Employees Union (LEU) defied the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DoLE) return to work order issued on June 9 at around 4 p.m. after the Benguet provincial government mediated the negotiations between the union and the Lepanto management.

The order was issued by DOLE Undersecretary Manuel Imson and handed to DOLE Regional Director Jalilo dela Torre.

The strike marks its 11th day on June 12, Independence Day, despite food and medicine blockade into the picketlines and communities within Lepanto. Management cut the water supply on June 6, which resumed three days after, union officers said.

The DOLE order deputizes the Philippine National Police (PNP) to enforce the return to work order. The order gives teeth to the Assumption of Jurisdiction (AJ) order over the striking workers. The AJ order was issued by DOLE Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas on May 10.

LEU Auditor Ronald Maslian said that the workers have already defied the Assumption of Jurisdiction order in the first place. By doing this, he explained that they have defied all other processes following DOLE’s AJ order. The union officers were issued termination notices on June 3.

In the 2003 strike, police violently dispersed the picketlines, where two miners died due to heart failure.

LEU President Ninian Lang-agan said that the PNP have already positioned near the Nayak and Tubo picketlines in their full battle gear.

In a separate interview, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)-Cordillera’s Nida Tundagui said that the return to work order deprives the workers to their right to strike, right to redress grievances, and concerted action.

“Kapag sinunod ito (order), wala nang saysay ang lahat ng pinaghirapan nila. Maging ang esensya ng CBA ay mawawala na. Babalik lang sila sa dating working conditions nila, kaya tama lang na di nila sinunod ang return to work order dahil di naman na sila sumunod sa AJ order” (If they submit to the return to work order, their past efforts will be futile. The CBA negotiations will even defeat its purpose. It is only right that they defy this order since they already defied the AJ), she said.

On June 10, KMU picketed Lepanto’s main office in Makati City in support of the Mankayan strike.

NORDIS learned that several Mt. Province officials, including Bontoc Mayor Alfonso Kiat-ong proceeded to Mankayan also on June 10 to mediate the dispute. Many of the rank and file employees are from Mt. Province. NORDIS sources in Mankayan relayed that the Mt. Province representatives went to the Mill Site picketline where they learned of Villaluna’s statement allegedly calling Igorots “patay-gutom” and “unggoy”, where they were described to be “shocked”. The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) issued a statement condemning this. CPA Secretary General Windel Bolinget said that Administrative Services Manager Atty. Weldy Manlong said Villaluna cannot possibly say that in an interview with TV Patrol.

“This goes to show that Lepanto is worried about the implications of Villaluna’s statement, especially now that they are countering it in public,” Bolinget said.

Security measures?

Since the strike broke out on June 2, management prohibited the entry of vehicles, including tricycles and jeeps. Resident Manager Augusto Villaluna issued a June 8 memorandum ordering all vehicles entering the mine camp to ensure that “no prohibited materials or unauthorized people enter the mine camp”.

Security and Communications Services Department Head Col. Wilhelm Doromal also released a notice to Gate No. 3 security guards ordering them not allow the entry of the LEU service vehicle until further notice. Doromal said that violations to the said memorandum “will be dealt with accordingly.

On May 31, two days before the strike at around 5:30 p.m., Doromal banned water pump operator Zaldy Negradas from transporting a half cavan of rice for his family at Brgy. Sapid via Tubo gate.

When he explained that the rice was for his family, Doromal allegedly started accusing Negradas of “harassing the security”. The security chief also said to Negradas “Nanghahamon ka ba? Naghahanap ka ba ng away?” (Are you mocking me? Are you looking for trouble?) Doromal also accused Negradas of abandonment of post, which the latter finds puzzling.

Negradas filed a harassment complaint at the Sapid Barangay Hall. Midnight of May 31, Negradas said several men under Doromal went looking for him at their quarters near the Club House. Luckily, he went home that night.

Investors held hostage?

Lang-agan added that management accused them of holding 7 Chinese investors hostage on June 7. Lang-agan explained that this is not at all true.

“Haan mi met isuda nga in-hostage. Immunegda idiay Tubo gate ken rumwar da kuma idiay Mill Site. Ngem idi dumanon da ditoy Mill Site ket naka-padlock ta adda picket. Nagnada metlaeng ditoy Level 900. Isunga awan ti in-hostage mi,” (We did not take anyone captive. The investors entered at Tubo gate and intended to exit at Mill Site but the gate was locked due to the picketline. They eventually exited through Level 900) Lang-agan explained.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)-Cordillera Spokesperson James Tulipa added that the investors sought clearance from the picketline command at Tubo gate before entering. Even Tulipa has his share of harassment from management when he was accused of instigating the strike together with Art Malicdan of the Cordillera Labor Center (CLC). Tulipa added that management called the DOLE regional office and allegedly reported that the striking workers held the investors captive.

CBA still deadlocked

Meanwhile, the negotiations mediated by the Benguet province officials resulted in a deadlock.

Gov. Borromeo Melchor and DOLE’s Dela Torre proposed P25-P29-P29 while management, represented by Atty. Weldy Manlong, stuck to their P21-P27-P29 proposal from the previous P21-P26-P28.

Originally, the union’s proposal was P29-P29-P33 for the wage increase. Benefits raised in the negotiations include housing allowance, separation pay, and rest day.

During the first round of negotiations in February 18, 2005 , the union proposed P100-P100-P100 while management proposed P0-P10-P11. # ATB for NORDIS

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