By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Officers and members of the two labor unions of the rank-and-file employees of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo) met with the representatives of the management to set up the ground rules for their 25th Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations (CBA) with the company.

Part of the fight for the recognition of labor rights especially their security of tenure, wage, benefits and political rights within the work place, miners enter into the table battle negotiations with the company to achieving such. Both parties were accompanied by their respective legal counsels at the Prince Plaza Hotel at Legarda Road here on March 19.

Lepanto Employees Union-National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (LEU-NAFLU-KMU) President Manuel Binhaon Jr. said that they presented their proposal to lay the necessary talking points and other particulars to be discussed in the upcoming series of CBA negotiation meetings.

Binhaon said that this will ensure the smooth flow of the negotiations. He added that the management also presented their proposals and according to him, no problem or conflicts did arise.

Lepanto Security Force Union (LSFU-NAFLU-KMU) President Pablito Sicdoy said that since they are company security guards they have many similar issues with the miners. He said that their separate CBA proposal they have similar issues.

“Isunga kasla aggiddan met lang ti panakitongtong mi iti management (So we also meet almost the same time),” he added. Sicdoy said that the workers in Lepanto, whether they are guards or miners, hope for the positive outcome of the 25th CBA especially now that every one is facing financial hardships.

As early as October last year, the two unions have already filed their respective CBA proposals with the National Conciliation and Mediation Board of the Department of Labor and Employment-Cordillera Administrative Region (NCMB-DOLE-CAR).

According to one of the union representatives, the next meeting will be scheduled before the holy week. # nordis.net