Lepanto Mining strike finally over, really

BAGUIO CITY — The strike is over, really!

The month-long labor row at the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co., the country’s biggest gold producer, finally ended Sunday night after the company agreed to rehire 26 union officers and grant the other demands of the 1,600-strong union.

Last Friday, the company threatened to terminate some 700 protesting rank-and-file employees if they failed to report to work starting Saturday.

Officials of the company and the Lepanto Employees Union signed a new memorandum of agreement during a marathon meeting that lasted for at least three hours last Sunday, Lepanto personnel manager Flor Fajilan said.

"At least for now, we can say that the labor strike is finally over, as in, it’s over," Fajilan said.

Both parties signed the first MOA last Feb. 22, but the striking workers ignored it and voted to continue their protest action, claiming that the agreement failed to address their demands.

The striking workers said the first MOA was silent on their demands for the recall of the terminated union officials, no compulsory holiday work or early reporting for work, payment of unused vacation and rest days, approval of long-pending promotions and a stop to labor-only contracting.

Fajilan said the protesting miners were expected to report to work yesterday.

"It would be business as usual starting today (yesterday), and we expect that the company can recover fast from its losses," she said.

Because of the strike which started on Feb. 1, Lepanto incurred at least P200 million in overall production and fixed losses.

Although other Lepanto officials refused to say why they softened on their hardline stand not to re-admit the terminated labor officials, Fajilan said the reason was mainly humanitarian.

Darrow Odsey, of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board’s central office, who facilitated Sunday’s dialogue, said Lepanto and LEU officials would hold final talks anytime this week to resolve other matters.

"We hope that both parties will resolve this matter the soonest possible time. Besides, it is a ‘win-win’ situation for both parties for the feud to be resolved," Odsey said.

Lepanto did not rehire 16 terminated LEU officers after they simply opted to just avail themselves of their separation and other benefits. — Artemio Dumlao