DOLE reports no strikes in region so far for 2009

CEBU, Philippines - Despite job cuts and mass terminations as a result of the global financial crisis, the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) said that no strikes were recorded for the first four months of the year.

DOLE-7 Director Elias Cayanong said that only three pickets took place from January to April this year.

One picket was held in Cebu City, one in Mandaue City and one in Lapu-Lapu City.

The labor disputes in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu have already been resolved while the case in Cebu City has been forwarded to the court.

In Central Visayas, there is a total workforce of 2.741 million. Of this number, only 2.541 million are employed which translates to 200,000 unemployed said DOLE Assistant Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga.

At present, the unemployment rate in the region is 7.5 percent while the underemployment rate is 19.3 percent.

Sarcauga said that they are trying to address the concerns of labor organization through close monitoring so that benefits due are really given to workers.   Sarcauga said that a Quick Response Team (QRT) is immediately dispatched whenever there are complaints regarding non-provision of benefits.

For those who will lose their jobs, DOLE has created the augmentation income program through livelihood undertakings.

DOLE also has the emergency employment program to benefit the displaced workers.

By June, DOLE-7 and the Cebu City Government will both give P400,000 as funding for the emergency employment program, which shall prioritize residents of the city.

Michael Mendoza the Area Vice President of ALU-TUCP presented three major concerns of the labor unions here in Central Visayas Region.

First concern is the proliferation of labor-only contracting.

“It is now a labor employment scene in the Cities and Province of Cebu that the employers hired workers supplied by labor-only contractors,” Mendoza said 

A specific example is the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) wherein its rank and file employees are members of ALU’s chartered local union — the Visayan Electric Company Employers Union-ALU (VECEU-ALU).

VECEU’s membership was tremendously reduced when VECO hired workers of labor-only contractors to work on its field work requirements like billing and electric line posting, and maintenance.

Now, membership of VECEU is confined to the administrative employees of VECO.

Mendoza also expressed their anguish against Director Cayanong.

This is because of his failure to act on the report of rampant hiring of contractual workers. Another concern that Mendoza raised is regarding the questionable impartiality of the Election Officer of the Regional Office of DOLE.

Mendoza recalled that during the certification election at Mosaic 925 Corporation held on April 23 wherein ALU’s chartered local, Mosaic 925 Corporation Employees Union-ALU was the petitioner.

The third concern is that several members of the union are out of employment most specially those working at Sulpicio Lines, Incorporated.

The rank and file crewmen of the company’s ships are members of the Sulpicio Lines Incorporated Employees Union-ALU. The membership of the union in the said company is about 800.

However, at present majority of the union members are out of employment because of the partial operation of the company. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja, Johanna T. Natavio/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)