Maynilad union, management forge new CBA

The Maynilad Water and Sewerage Union-Philippine Transport General Workers Organization (MWSU-PTGWO) and the management of Maynilad Water Services Inc. have signed last March 2 a new collective bargaining agreement covering the 1,700 rank-and-file employees of the water company, which serves the larger western half of Metro Manila.

The new CBA was quickly reached after only a few meetings between Maynilad management and MWSU, reflecting the unstinting support by the MWSU for Maynilad’s new owners, the DMCI-MPIC consortium.

Among the benefits granted by the new CBA to Maynilad’s rank-and-file employees are: a pay increase of P1,950 starting Jan. 1; another pay increase of P1,950 starting Jan. 1, 2008; a P5,000 signing bonus and additional P100 rice and meal allowance per month for the next two years.

Labor Undersecretary Romeo Lagman, who witnessed the signing, commended the swift negotiation process. "By my experience, negotiations usually run for up to 10 months. So when CBAs are concluded in three or four sessions like in Maynilad, I am pleasantly surprised," he said.

Lucia Magno, president of the MWSU, cited the union’s full support for the new company owners, DMCI-MPIC, as the reason for the smooth and quick CBA negotiations.

On the part of the new Maynilad owners, Isidro Consunji, a member of the Maynilad board and the DMCI Holdings president, assured the union that the new management is committed to uplift the interests of the rank-and-file.

The CBA was signed by MWSU officials led by Magno, Maynilad officials led by its president, Dr. Florello Estuar and new Maynilad board directors Isidro Consunji (Maynilad board vice-chairman and DMCI Holdings president), Randolph Estrellado (Maynilad chief financial officer), and Jose Ma. Lim (Metro Pacific Investments Corporation president).