Cepalco faces threat of strike

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

ORGANIZED workers of the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) have threatened to go on strike following a deadlock in the negotiations for a collective bargaining  agreement between them and the firm’s management.

The labor union’s leader said the Cepalco workers would go on strike on fiesta day unless their demands are met.

A notice of strike was filed with the National  Conciliation and  Mediation Board (NCMB) on Monday, the same day President Duterte delivered his state-of-the-nation address.

The 181-member Cepalco Employees’ Labor Union decided to file the strike notice after negotiations bogged down during the first week of this month. The negotiations for a fresh CBA started in May.

Their five-year CBA expired in March 31.

Ligaya Lumbay, NCMB director, has scheduled a meeting between Cepalco representatives and the labor union leaders this morning in an effort to avert a workers’ strike from taking place.

Amor Sanchez,  the labor union’s president,  said he was informed that the matter has reached the attention of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, and Lumbay was given instructions to help in making Cepalco and labor union representatives reach an agreement.

“Kon dili maesolve ang among deadlock sa sayo nga panahon, sa Aug. 28, during fiesta, mahimo na kami mag-strike against sa   company,” Sanchez said.

The negotiations reached a stalement on the demand for salary increases, productivity bonuses, signing bonuses, and profit sharing.

Sanchez said the workers want a raise of P2,200 each starting this year up to 2019. Cepalco’s offer was P1,800 each.

He said the workers also asked for a productivity bonus of P40 thousand for every employee. Cepalco offered P35 thousand.

As  CBA signing bonus, the workers demanded P35 thousand each but Cepalco’s offer was P18 thousand per employee.