Golf club, union settle row; 161 workers to get benefits

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Country Club, Inc. has finally settled its dispute with its labor union, with the latter getting a  total of P6.3 million economic package under their Collective Bargaining Agreement that benefits 161 workers, 100 of whom are union members.

A settlement has been reached on the CBA deadlock dispute between the management and the Cebu Country Club Employees Union, an affiliate of the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) and the golf club’s sole and exclusive bargaining agent of its rank and file employees.

To recall, in July this year, almost a month after the previous CBA of both parties ended, the union filed a notice of strike against the golf club before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board-7 on account of deadlock in bargaining negotiation.

The Department of Labor and Employment-7, in a statement, said that among the issues settled and defined in the new CBA included wage increase, meal allowance, service charge on food and beverage, burial assistance, medicine allowance, HMO, drug-free workplace and retirement pay benefits.

The agreement, which came into shape on September 11, specifically included a P10 per day wage increase from the first to third year of the implementation of the new CBA that took effect starting July 1, 2015 until June 20, 2020.

It also included a P350 per month meal allowance apart from the service charge on food and beverage of 5 percent from local tourists and 7 percent from foreign tourists.

The parties also agreed on the provision of burial assistance: P20,000 for the employees, P10,000 for their legal spouse, and P5,000 for their legitimate children.

   Also highlighted in the agreement were the provision of medicine allowance of P500/year and an HMO annual premium of P3, 920 to every worker.

 The retirement plan of the workers included the following: compulsory retirement at age 60 with payment equivalent to 30 days per year of service; 10 years and above and before 15 years of service with payment equivalent to 10 days per year of service; and 15 years and above and before 50 years of service with payment equivalent to 15 days per year of service.

Last Friday, the signing of the new CBA took place and was witnessed by DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz who emphasized the importance of an effective Labor Management Committee at the plant level.

 In the same statement, Baldoz encouraged both the management and workers of CCCI to use their internal/grievance settlement procedure.

“The journey towards a sound industrial peace is a long process. Disputes are a reality in any type of relationship. And industrial peace does not mean the absence of disputes,” said Baldoz.

 Emphasizing the appropriate concept of industrial peace, Baldoz added that should there be a conflict or a labor dispute, there should also be a mechanism to immediately address it and that everyone involved should work out together to come up with the correct solution. — (FREEMAN)