DOLE activates inter-agency monitoring committee to address peace and order in areas with labor disputes

CEBU CITY — Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz yesterday lauded the DOLE Regional Office No. 7 for activating the Regional and Industry Inter-Agency Coordination and Monitoring Committee (RICMC) to address peace and order in areas  with ongoing labor disputes.

Citing a report of DOLE Regional Office No. 7 Director Chona Mantilla, Baldoz, in a statement said the DOLE Regional Office No. 7  had  constituted the RICMC  as a sub-committee of the Regional Tripartite Industrial Council to take the lead in preserving jobs and exploring   all remedies/avenues necessary and feasible to peacefully settle of a potential or actual strike, picket, lock-out, or any labor dispute.

Under the DOLE’s A.O. No. 104, Series of 2012, the RICMC shall conduct monitoring and coordination of labor disputes and formulates an action plan, which shall also include a campaign for advocacy and awareness on the provisions of the Joint DOLE-PNP-PEZA Guidelines, and other relevant issuances.

Aside from this, the RICMC shall also identify issues and recommend possible solutions and options to disputing parties; maintain open communication lines with the workers and management representatives through special dialogue and exhaustive conciliation-mediation,  with NCMB as lead agency;   and facilitate a Tripartite Social Accord to govern the conduct of all parties involved in a labor dispute pursuant to Section 7 of the Joint DOLE-PNP-PEZA Guidelines.

“The RICMC in Region 7 will conduct massive information dissemination of the guidelines in different Tripartite Industrial Peace Councils (TIPCs), Industry Tripartite Councils (ITCs, and local government units (LGUs) in the region,” said Mantilla in her report.

Aside from the RICMC Action Plan, the regional office has also finalized the RICMC Guidelines and has oriented labor tripartite council executives on the proposed guidelines.

The guidelines simplify the procedures on the expected conduct of various government agencies in dispute situations.

The RICMC  is composed of DOLE Regional Office No. 7 Regional Director Chona M. Mantilla;  Executive Labor Arbiter  Emiliano C. Tiongco, Jr of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) RAB 7; PC Supt. Danilo Santos Constantino of the Philippine National Police (PNP); Board secretary Grace Carreon of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board 7;  Director Evelia M. Durato of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration 7; Director Wilfreda Misterio of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration 7; Director Rosanna Urdaneta of the Technical Skills and Development Authority 7;  Engineer Rey Estellore of the Occupational Safety and Health Center

Ingrid Yumanig of the Employees Compensation Commission; NLRC Presiding Commissioner Violeta Ortiz-Bantug; Bohol Provincial Field Officer  Wilson Cenas; Cebu Provicial Officer Grace Diaz; Negros Oriental Provincial Officer Viven Lagahin; Siquijor Provincial Field Officer  Marites Tanquimco;  Asistant Regional Director Lilia Estellore; Sansaluna Pinagayao of MEZ-PEZA; Police Senior Supt. Noel Angeles Gillamac of PNP Cebu Province; Police Senior Supt. Denis Palo Agustin of PNP Bohol Province; and Police Supt Alet Intac Virtucio of PNP Negros Oriental.

Press release courtesy of the Department of Labor and Employment, 14 April 2014.