Keppel workers hold off strike

CEBU, Philippines - Union members of Keppel Shipyard in barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City, did not push through with their planned protest yesterday after the management deferred its move to retrench the workers.

Dennis Derige, spokesman of the Partido ng Manggagawa, the allied union of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero (Keppel Shipyard)-National Federation of Labor, yesterday said that the workers are now having a preemptive or stay-in protest.

“Wala na sila nanggawas karon. They are just staying in the company’s premises,” Derige said, adding that the management now has a move to retrench 70 percent of the 278 union members due to redundancy.

Union president Roger Igot had said that Keppel is using the global crisis as an alibi to destroy the union and replace regular jobs with contractual workers.

The management of Keppel Shipyard wants to shift from ship repair to shipbuilding and in the process downsize its workforce.

It can be recalled that last February 20, management proposed a plan for forced leave but the union disagreed citing the heavy presence of contractual workers. The proposal did not push through.

Then on February 27, the management offered a voluntary resignation package which the union also rejected because it shortchanged the workers.

That same day, in a preventive mediation hearing at the National Mediation and Conciliation Board, the workers questioned the management’s move to hire new contractual workers without informing the union as stipulated in their collective bargaining agreement.

Derige added that the management announced last Monday that it will start retrenching workers effective yesterday.

“Pero wala sila nag retrench. But the union is ready to have a protest anytime once they will start terminating the workers,” Derige said.

The union believes that despite the global crisis, Keppel’s business remains strong and any supposed business losses due to the global crisis is just an alibi to get rid of the regular workforce and bust the union. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)