The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday reported that close to P1 billion in benefits were provided to over 6,000 workers as a result of sustaining a stable industrial climate during the first half of 2019.
Citing date from the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) disputes that were settled from January to June to P956,983,178.04.
He attributed the prompt resolution of said cases to the continuous implementation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, where management and labor basically resolved labor disputes through mediation, conciliation, and arbitration.
“DOLE stands firm on sustaining industrial peace through the fast settlement of labor disputes,” Bello said.
Of the awarded amount, about 59.5 percent or P570,247,314.35 were given to 188 beneficiaries through voluntary arbitration (VA) conducted by the NCMB.
The other 23.7 percent of the amount, which is equivalent to P227,418,761, was awarded to 2,337 workers with the settlement of 82 cases on the notices of strike/lockout (NS/L).
NCMB also reported that 2,799 workers also received 14.6 percent or P140,156,665.69 through requests for assistance (RFAs) on Single Entry Approach (SEnA).
The remaining 3.6 percent or P3,524,508 of benefits were given to 86 workers with resolved actual strikes/lockout.
Bello said the creation of Labor Management Cooperations (LMCs) and Grievance Machineries (GM) in companies helped in minimizing labor disputes, which needed DOLE’s intervention.
He noted that 3,415 companies with LMCs and 3,674 companies with GMs have not reported any labor dispute during the first six months of the year.