Salcon management says union's arguments are baseless

CEBU, Philippines - The management of SPC Power Corp. laments the continuing threat to the already precarious power situation in the Visayas by a union that allegedly attempts to confuse or mislead the Cebu media and the public by allegedly pushing for their confrontational yet baseless position on “equal work, equal pay” policy.

Alfredo Ballesteros, SPC senior vice president for finance and administration, said the ongoing agitation “based on misleading information is grossly detrimental to power consumers not only in Cebu but also the three regions in the Visayas.”

Ballesteros cited some of the deceptive statements issued to members of the Cebu media by union president Gaudencio Iso like the Rehabilitate Operate Manage and Maintain Contract between SPC and the National Power Corporation that enshrines the “equal pay for equal work” covered both former NPC employees and those directly hired by the company after the ROMM contract signing.

However, Ballesteros said Iso dishonestly omitted the Schedule 11 entitled “Conditions of Employment for present NPC employees at the Cebu-Naga Power Plant Complex who are joining Salcon.” The ROMM contract was signed in March 1994.

He explained that Schedule 11 only covers former NPC employees still with SPC and does not cover employees hired by SPC after the signing of the ROMM agreement in its resolve to provide Cebu and the rest of the Visayas with reliable supply of power.

Further, he said the purpose of Schedule 11 was to ensure that former NPC employees shall enjoy the salaries and benefits they have gained through the years at NPC as senior employees at the Naga complex.

“Did Iso and the union misunderstand the nature of the ROMM agreement or are they merely trying to confuse and mislead to justify their belligerent position?” Ballesteros asked.

In a separate press statement, the union cited the Supreme Court decision on G.R. No. 128845, International School Alliance of Educators vs. Quisumbing in defining the concept “Equal Pay for Equal Work,” wherein “persons who work with substantially equal qualifications, skill, effort and responsibility, under similar conditions, should be paid similar salaries.”

However, Ballesteros clarified the union conveniently omits that the decision pertained to the differences of pay between foreign and local teachers of the school. —Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/WAB   (THE FREEMAN)