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RECORD TIME: MARCVENTURES, UNION SIGN CBA AFTER 6-HOUR NEGOTIATION

June 13,2018


MMDC and Carrascal Project Union officials during the signing of the amendment to their Collective Bargaining Agreement. In right photo, MMDC President and CEO Yulo E. Perez (light grey shirt) congratulates Management and Union panels for the speedy conclusion of the CBA negotiations. To his left is SRMMMDC President Ralph Roculas who thanked Management for their “respect and understanding of the plight of employees.”

 

Officials of Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation (MMDC) and Samahan ng Responsableng Manggagawa ng MMDC (SRMMMDC) have signed the amendment to their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covering the last two years of the 5-year CBA cycle.  The parties concluded the renegotiated economic terms of the Agreement in just six hours.

“I congratulate the panel members of the Union and Management for their fast and productive negotiations,” MMDC President Yulo E. Perez said.  “Their reaching mutual agreements without delay and unnecessary interventions can be a model in collective bargaining and can be cited as best practice showcasing harmonious labor-management relations in the mining industry.”

For his part, SRMMMDC President Ralph I. Roculas thanked Marcventures management for “their respect and their understanding of the plight of employees” by providing them benefits beyond those required by law and the CBA, and despite the challenging business environment. 

Patuloy kaming susuporta sa anumang hakbangin para sa pagpapatuloy ng operasyon ng kumpanya at para sa kapakinabangan ng lahat (We will maintain our support for all measures geared toward the continued operations of the company and for the benefit of all its stakeholders),” Roculas said.

Perez and Roculas led management and union officials, respectively, during the CBA signing ceremony held at the MMDC nickel mine site in Carrascal, Surigao del Sur.  Other MMDC management officials who signed the CBA were Cleotilde A. Marzo, VP for Human Resources and Administration; Roselyn S. Suante, Mine Site HR and Administration Manager; Ernelyn Rose D. Balderas, Finance Manager; Jonathan L. Sunico, HR Superintendent; and Joyce B. Alviar, Legal Counsel.

The union, on the other hand, was represented by SRMMMDC directors Romelito Estal, Rommel Anino, Asher Sandag, and Christopher Angcla, as well as by Shop Steward Melchor Bitco, and Executive Secretary Charly Dedumo.

“This CBA underscores our belief that the union is the Company’s partner in pursuing our common aspiration of seeing MMDC grow in the face of the many overwhelming challenges we face as a company and as part of the minerals development industry,” Perez stressed. The coming to terms of both parties in such record time is solid proof that there is recognition of the company’s goals and objectives and there is mutual respect on how these will be delivered.

SRMMDC has 211 members, all based in MMDC’s Carrascal Project.

The renegotiated CBA, concluded last May 23, will be effective from June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2020, covers the following benefits:

  • Basic daily wage increase of P40.00 effective June 1, 2018, and increase of P40 effective June 1, 2019;
  • Continuation of 15 days of sick leave credits for every year of service for all regular employees in accordance with the company’s existing policy.  Unused sick leaves in the immediately preceding year are cumulative and are convertible to cash, and upon the condition that the employee still has remaining 15 days’ worth of sick leave credits after conversion.
  • Optional retirement upon reaching the age of 60 years and compulsory retirement at the age of 65 years, with the parties agreeing to continue negotiations on the terms of the company’s private retirement benefit plan to be implemented in its organization.
  • Rice benefits equivalent to P2,500 every quarter effective June 1, 2018, and P2,000 every two months effective June 1, 2019.
  • Uniform and clothing allowance of P950 to all regular employees on or before January 5 of each calendar year, to take effect on June 1, 2018.
  • Provision of safety devices when required by the nature of the employees’ job or work, including safety shoes, skullguards, working gloves, mask or respirators, welding helmet, welding goggles, and raincoat.
  • Provision of uniforms to all regular rank-and-file employees every year.
  • Goodwill bonus of P3,000 to every rank-and-file employee who are union members upon signing of the renegotiated economic terms of the CBA.

Natugunan din ang mga agarang pangangailangan ng mga manggagawa sa pagbibigay ng kumpanya ng cash advances na walang interes, lalo na ang ‘Pantawid Edukasyon’ na napakalaking tulong sa hanay namin ngayong pasukan ng aming mga anak sa paaralan (The interest-free cash advances and the ‘Pantawid Edukasyon’ financial assistance provided by the company have addressed the immediate need of workers, particularly at this time of the year when our children our going back to school),” Roculas related.  “Ipagpapatuloy namin ang buwanang pagpupulong ng unyon at pamunuan para sa Labor-Management Committee na layuning patatagin ang ugnayan manggagawa at may-pagawa para sa hinarap (We will continue the monthly Labor Management Committee meetings between the union and management with the objective of strengthening the relationship between workers and employers going forward).”

"I encourage the members of our union to continue to engage management in dialogue in pursuit of the interest of both parties,” Perez added.  “Our coming together in this signing after a mutually beneficial and speedy dialogue shows that we both believe that respect for the right to self-organization and collective bargaining is critical to the attainment of sustainable industrial peace, productivity, and competitiveness.”

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