BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The secretary general of Power Watch Negros is calling on top business and government officials in Negros Occidental to convene Task Force Ceneco to address the looming power crisis in the event of an impending strike in the power utility firm.
Wennie Sancho is suggesting to Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, former governor Rafael Coscolluela and Frank Carbon of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) that they come up with a “Manifesto for Industrial Peace” strongly requesting the management and the labor union of Ceneco to submit their labor dispute to voluntary arbitration and/or request Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello lll to assume jurisdiction over the labor dispute.
Such assumption will have the effect of automatically enjoining the intended or impending strike, he said.
With a resounding 291 yes votes as against 10 no votes in a strike vote done through secret balloting onJanuary 29, the Ceneco Union of Rational Employees (CURE) is poised to strike on the ground of unfair labor practice (ULP), after a 15-day cooling off period, Sancho said.
“We are hoping that the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) could successfully conciliate the two parties towards a voluntary settlement or agreement,” he said.
In the event of a strike that would paralyze the operation of Ceneco, more than 310,000 member-consumer owners (MCOs)are at the receiving end, he added.
Sancho said the call of Power Watch Negros for the convening of the proposed Task Force Ceneco is for the greatest good of the greatest number of people already burdened by the pandemic.*
