BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
The Philippine Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Workers Union (PACIWU) United KCI Labor Union with its chapter president Ricky Langrio and PACIWU authorized representative Wennie Sancho filed a notice of strike (NOS) Friday before the Regional Conciliation and Mediation Board (RCMB) in Bacolod City.
The grounds for filing the NOS were deadlock on economic proposals of the union for nearly six months from April to September 29, no economic packages being offered, and unfair labor practice (ULP) for the duration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiation, no authority from the Board of Directors of KOOLL Company Inc., authorizing their negotiating panel to grant economic benefits to the union members. The CBA negotiation has been dragging on for several months, a press release from the PACIWU representatives said.
The union avers that management, represented by Jean Chua, business and finance manager of KOOLL Co., has been using the COVID-19 pandemic issue to postpone the schedule last June and using other dilatory tactics that constitute bargaining in bad faith.
Sancho, who is the organizer of the United KCI Labor Union said, at the very least, management should learn to respect the rights of the workers to collective negotiation which is the performance of the mutual obligation between labor and management on the basis of equality.
A conference between the two parties has been set on October 5 facilitated by the RCMB.
The United KCI Labor Union will hold a press conference on October 6 at 10 am at the Negros Press Club, to strengthen and firm up their position with General Alliance of Workers (GAWA), National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP), and other labor groups in the event of a full-blown strike in KOOL Co.
The rights of the workers to strike in accordance with law were not suspended despite the pandemic. They are ready to strike if is necessary, the press release added.*
