Labor strike looms at Visayan Electric

CEBU, Philippines — Members of the Visayan Electric Company Employees Union (VECEU-NAFLU-KMU) voted “yes to strike” during a strike voting held Monday evening.

Rolando Jimenez, the union president, told The Freeman that majority of the 131 members who participated during the voting agreed to hold a strike. Jimenez said 120 members voted yes while only seven voted against it. There were also four that were considered spoiled ballots.

Strike voting is part of the process that a labor union needs to comply after filing a notice of strike with the Department of Labor. Despite the looming labor problem, the management of Visayan Electric has assured the public that their services will not be affected.

Earlier, the union filed a notice of strike against the power utility firm citing unfair labor practice and willful refusal of the company to conclude a collective bargaining agreement as ordered by the Secretary of Labor on September 6, 2019. The Visayan Electric, however, denied the union’s claim.

“The Visayan Electric Company would like to clarify that it has, in good faith, implemented the Order of the Department of Labor and Employment dated September 6, 2019, particularly the salary increase, pertaining to the case between the company and the Visayan Electric Company Employees Union (VECEU). The Visayan Electric Company has voluntarily released the salary increase, even before the company and VECEU have signed the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA),” the company said in a statement

Contrary to VECEU’s claim, the Visayan Electric said it has already signed its final draft of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that includes the DOLE order. The document is now ready for transmittal to and signature of the VECEU negotiating panel.

Representatives from both the company and the union will meet today at the regional office of the National Conciliation and Mediation  Board in Central Visayas.

“Kami di gyud mi gusto mag-strike. Hopefully, ihatag sa management ang among mga gipangayo,” said Jimenez.  FPL (FREEMAN)