Hefty benefits granted to Naga supervisors

CEBU, Philippines - The SPC Power Corp. has granted a hefty package of economic benefits to supervisors of the Naga power complex in the recently concluded negotiations for the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the management and the supervisors’ independent union.

Afredo Ballesteros, SPC Power Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration, said the package includes increases on performance bonus and incentives, rice subsidy, a signing bonus, and separation pay benefits above what the law prescribes once the agreement between SPC and National Power Corporation ends in 2012.

The package, he said, belies claims from certain sectors that the management is not serious with the negotiations.

“The negotiations had gone smoothly because the supervisors were reasonable and practical. We are very happy to be able to meet at a level both welcomed by management and the union,” Ballesteros said.

Ballesteros also served as chairman of the management panel during the negotiations.

Ballesteros said the increases are quite significant, considering that the performance bonus is now equivalent to a month’s basic pay for employees that get a rating of “very satisfactory” and 75 percent of a month’s pay for those that get a “satisfactory” rating.

The bonus used to be only 0.8 percent of a month’s salary for those with “very satisfactory” rating and 0.9 percent for those with “satisfactory” rating.

Instead of the proposed welfare fund, Ballesteros the company has granted a one-time, all-inclusive cash incentive of P10,000 to each member of the union. Ballesteros said the company opted to give the P10,000 cash incentive as substitute despite the proposed welfare fund allegedly lacking legal basis.

Ballesteros said SPC granted the benefits on the principle of “sharing the fruits of our labor,” which is vital to sustaining efficiency and productivity among its employees.

“We like to point out that this was only possible because of the commitment of both management and the supervisors’ union to thresh out differences through dialogue,” he added. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO (THE FREEMAN)