TACLOBAN CITY, (PNA) — A 65-member labor union working in a local distribution firm filed a notice of strike against the management for alleged unfair labor practice.
“They are very eager to hold a strike but we asked them to continue conciliation proceedings,” National Conciliation and Mediation Board regional conciliator-mediator Tomas Biboso said in reference to the notice of strike filed by the EGD Distribution Sales, Inc. Employees Union.
The labor union will conduct a strike voting on Sunday to formally determine if majority of union members are in favor of protest.
If at least 34 of the 65 union members would favor a strike, the group can proceed with work stoppage on October 15 or seven full days after the voting.
Union president Marben Calabia filed the notice of strike at the NCMB regional office shortly after his termination last Sept 19.
“They complained that the termination only served to defeat the union’s right to self-organization as it happened closely to the date of issuance of their Certificate of Creation of Local Chapter, which was on September 9, 2013,” Biboso said.
The union also hit the management for the alleged illegal transfer of workers from Ormoc depot to Tacloban depot.
During the first conciliation meeting, EGD Distribution Sales, Inc. human resource manager Paulo Vergara claimed that Calabia’s termination is valid.
The management accused the union president of fictitious sale transaction, short remittances and discrepancy of transactions.
According to NCMB, workers were skeptic over management’s show of “good faith” and if the case will be stalled in few weeks, mass termination would be possible.
The management’s top officials and legal counsel are expected to face union members in a conciliation meeting on October 9 at the NCMB regional office.
“Even if union members will vote for yes to strike, we will proceed with conciliation meetings. We will make all efforts to prevent strike,” Biboso said.
The EGD Distribution Sales, Inc. Employees Union is a chartered local group recognized by the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Unions Congress of the Philippines.
The firm with an office in Barangay Caibaan, this city and depot in Ormoc City and Calbayog City, is an exclusive regional distributor of Kopiko, a brand of coffee confectioneries.