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Thanksgiving, tributes exude hope for LEU

CBA nego on-going

MANKAYAN, Benguet (Sept. 12) — Mineworkers of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (Lepanto) and their respective families staged thanksgiving ritual at the Union Hall and in four picket areas here, on September 10 and 11 for the gains of the three-month strike. Union members gave their dismissed officers the highest tributes for sacrificing their jobs for the good of the majority.

The two-day ritual proved that the strike has forged greater unity and further strengthened the union, far from being busted as Lepanto tried but failed to do. Earlier, LEU and the labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)-Cordillera denounced the company’s policy of union busting as it repeatedly refused to re-instate LEU officers in the dialogs aimed at the early resolution of the labor conflict. They also denounced the assumption of jurisdiction by Department of Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas that institutionalized union busting.

On September 11, thanksgiving rituals were simultaneously performed in four picket lines where the workers officially dismantled the barricades. At around 4:00 p.m. the workers opened the mill site gate, signifying the workers’ sincerity to end the strike.

The mill site picket line suffered the most violent dispersals by the elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who failed to dismantle it. The PNP did not succeed in escorting the entry of supplies into the mill site for the processing of the ore during the strike.

The picket lines lifted, the workers are back to work but they remain united in the fight for better wages and benefits, says the Lepanto Employees Union (LEU), in a statement.

According to LEU President Ninian Lang-agan the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has yet to be inked and negotiations would still push through.

“Our unity will be like a woven buri hat that will protect us in our pursuit for our rights and welfare,” he said in Ilokano. Lang-agan added that as long as the union exists, the workers have a venue to fight for their rights and welfare.

He explained that the severed officers will still represent the workers in the CBA negotiations and will assume the same positions until new officers are elected as recognized in the latest memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the LEU and Lepanto representatives.

The MOA signed on September 10 at the LEU hall that resolved the three-month long strike also terminated 19 LEU officers, who sacrificed their employment so the more than 1,600 striking workers could retain their jobs.

Lang-agan explained that the officers considered the hundreds of families who would be affected should Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (Lepanto) continue to terminate more workers because of the strike.

The MOA compelled Lepanto to reinstate all other dismissed workers except the terminated union officers and not to take any retaliatory actions against those who joined the strike. The MOA also instructed both parties to “take steps to promote industrial harmony” and for the company to drop all pending complaints and cases related to the strike filed against the workers. The MOA also required all workers to go back to work.

All workers went back to work on September 12, Monday.

Lawyers Ronald Recidero and Teddy Rigoroso signed in behalf of Lepanto.

Those who signed for the LEU are Lang-agan, and 18 other union officers, namely Julio Cawilan, secretary; Ronald Maslian, auditor; William Apos, treasurer; Dante Balwog, assistant treasurer; Haig Mangaoang, business manager and union board of directors Julio Papat, Vicente Dilem, Raymund Papat, Richard Gacula, Jerry Macuroy, Eden Laolawi, Rodrigo Ngeteg, Laurence Farrong, Francisco Dida, Domingo Olaget, Pedro Kiray, Henry Foy-os and Cornelio Toacan.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)-Cordillera Coordinator Lorico Espejo Jr. signed as witness assited by Atty. Thomas Bayugan. # Kim Quitasol for NORDIS

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