By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .
THE Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) has questioned the notice of strike filed by its workers, resulting in the postponement of a hearing at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) on Friday.
Amor Sanchez, president of the Cepalco Employees’ Labor Union (Celu), said Cepalco sent NCMB director Ligaya Lumbay a July 26 letter to ask for a postponement because executives here have yet to discuss the matter with their superiors in Pasig City.
Lumbay rescheduled the hearing on Thursday.
The Celu notice threatens to cripple the city’s power supply next month. The union warned of a strike starting on Cagayan de Oro’s fiesta day.
In the letter, Cepalco questioned the timing of the filing of the notice of strike, arguing that Cepalco and Celu were still in the “period of preventive mediation,” according to Sanchez.
Sanchez however argued that the July 23 Celu notice of strike was timely and workers have the right to file it, pointing out that no agreement has been reached even after three negotiation meetings.
Sanchez said Cepalco executives also wanted to discuss with their superiors the demand of the workers’ union and “kon ila bang dugangan ang ilang gi-offer sa amo.”
Cepalco and Celu’s negotiations for a fresh collective bargaining agreement (CBA) reached a stalemate when the union rejected Cepalco’s offer to increase workers’ salaries by P1,800 each starting this year and in 2019. The union demanded a P2,200aise.
Celu was also offered P35 thousand per worker as productivity bonus and profit share, and a CBA-signing bonus of P18 thousand per employee. But the union wants a P40-thousand productivity bonus and profit share, and P35 thousand as CBA signing bonus.
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