MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday said the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) is trying to patch things up between the workers and management of snack food maker, Regent Foods Corporation (RFC).
“In the meantime, our NCMB is mediating since there is an existing union. The 10 people who are complaining. So that is the issue,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in an interview.
At the same time, Bello said a labor case that was filed by the management is pending before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC).
“There is a case pending before the NLRC. The management complaint to NLRC,” he said.
Bello said it is up for the NLRC to resolve the case.
“Yes. Especially the mediation. The management, I was informed they were offered to pay for their separation pay but they don’t like it. They want to continue. So that is being negotiated,” Bello said.
He added that they did not assume jurisdiction over the case since there was no strike.
“There was no notice for strike. Since they are only 10 of them, and there are about 500 employees who are members of a union. There is an existing union there,” Bello said.
Early this month, several workers were slapped with charges after the violent dispersal of the picket line at the RFC compound in Pasig City.
Meanwhile, labor groups criticized the decision of the snack maker company to move out of the city.
“It is regrettable that RFC management decided to relocate their business just because the city mayor decided and did the right thing by supporting the oppressed workers and condemning injustice,” said Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) spokesperson Allan Tanjusay in a statement.
Tanjusay was referring to Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto’s act of defending the company’s workers, who were arrested after the violent dispersal on November 9.
“The decision to relocate for these reasons is a sign of immaturity. We dissuade them from doing so because it’s not the right thing to do. I hope they think otherwise and rethink. There are positive ways forward than relocating their business,” he added.
Sotto also earlier asked RFC to drop the charges against its workers.