Philippine ind’l climate generally peaceful in 2015 – DOLE

MANILA, Philippines - Fourteen of the country’s 16 regions remained strike free this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the DOLE has effectively maintained a peaceful industrial climate nationwide in year 2015.

“By keeping the incidence of work stoppages at single-digit level in 2015, we have effectively maintained a peaceful industrial climate,” she said.

Out of 219 notices filed before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board, an attached agency of DOLE, only five turned into work stoppages.

Baldoz said three  strikes were declared in Calabarzon region and a single work stoppage in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“The good news is that the NCMB disposed all of the five work stoppages handled through amicable settlement to achieve 100 percent disposition and settlement rate,” she noted.

 During the same period, the amicable settlement of 75 percent or 165 out of 219 notices of strike/lockout resulted in the facilitation of P425 million monetary benefits granted to 4,539 workers.

The NCMB also handled 467 preventive mediation cases during the period. Out of 467 cases, 85 percent or 397 were settled leading to the grant of P85 million monetary benefits to 1,649 workers

Based on NCMB data, Baldoz said the 14 other regions nationwide were strike- and lockout-free in 2015.