TIPC-NCR signs agreement for industrial peace

MANILA, Philippines - As the world economy goes into recession resulting in establishment closures, Labor Secretary Marianito D. Roque calls for unity among labor and management when he meets with representatives from the Tripartite Industrial Peace Councils (TIPCs) and region-based Industry Tripartite Councils (ITCs) in the National Capital Region. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through its regional office in the NCR called for the general assembly to discuss specific industry concerns resulting from the economic meltdown.

In response to the call of Roque, the group handed over the social contract signed between labor and management that signifies support to maintain the dynamics of industrial peace and harmony, especially during these economically challenging times.

“Putting up TIPCs encourages constant dialogue in the workplaces which translates into grievance machinery, labor-management cooperation or other forms of dialogues where labor and management sit together to make the company competitive to ride out the effects of the GFC. Under the tripartite consultative body all three parties, (labor, management and government) are on equal footing, there is no superior entity only cooperation and coordination reign supreme,” said DOLE-NCR Regional Director Raymundo G. Agravante.

As Director Rebecca Chato of the Bureau of Labor Relations puts it, “its time for dialogues, cooperation and the antagonistic relationship should be buried as there are new modes of negotiating for better terms of employment.” Adversarial form of negotiation will no longer apply in a fierce and insecure business set-up, especially under a global financial crisis. Businesses close down and move to other countries resulting in job losses.

The DOLE Secretary acknowledged the big role of TIPCs and ITCs in maintaining industrial peace and harmony. “With the help of the TIPCs, the adverse effects of the global financial crisis had been cushioned due to the constant dialogues and cooperation of both labor and management. If not because of the strengthened TIPCs it would have been difficult for DOLE to monitor displacements and manage displaced workers’ readiness,” Roque said.

In one of the future gatherings of the TIPC, Roque plans to invite other Cabinet secretaries to lay down their platform of governance and to know how these might affect the sectors with which they operate. This will help affected sectors thresh out issues that are outside the realm of DOLE.

“Inform the DOLE of your problems so we can send our people in the mediation and conciliation stage before things get worse, in that way you’ll have a venue where both parties can ventilate the issues to preserve harmony in the workplace. If we work together and hold our hands together there is nothing that we cannot accomplish as one tripartite industrial peace council,” Roque added.  

The meeting also paved the way for the election of the new set of TIPC-NCR officers who took their oath of office before Roque. The 10-member technical working committee (TEC) chaired by DOLE-NCR Regional Director Raymundo G. Agravante is composed of five representatives each coming from labor and management. They will serve as RTIPCs governing council.  

In Metro Manila, there are 14 local TIPCs representing the cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon, Taguig and Valenzuela. With it are three ITCs from the broadcast, hospital and education industries which are all region-based.