GOOD NEWS
National Conciliation and Mediation Board
March 28, 2017

The National Conciliation and Mediation Board Employees Association (NCMB-EA) held its first Annual National Conference at Ramada Manila Central, Binondo, Manila, on March 23 – 24, 2017.

In an effort to regain the vitality that gradually declined since its active days in the early 90’s, the conference is essentially fit for the purpose. “We really needed this, badly,” NCMB-EA President Tess Kinsy Comandante said, who, along with the members of the Executive Board, worked out the plans to see it through.

“We want to start anew, to pick up the pieces and put them together and involve the RCMB’s in our endeavors. We need all the support we can get and we had it today,” Comandante remarked, referring to the 16 Region representatives that joined the Board of Directors to form the general assembly.

One of the several concerns discussed was the financial status reports of the RCMB’s national fund. The NCMB-EA, as of now, is still not financially equipped to promulgate, much more to sustain, programs and benefits for its members. Currently, it has a few welfares under its banner. To do this, resources has to be built.

To gain augmentation, RCMB’s are encouraged to recover, as much as possible, loans granted to members from the regional seed money released in 2007. Financial status reports of the RCMB’s and NCMB-EA National Fund will be presented during the annual conference on the first quarter of every year.

Other development includes: increase in membership fee from P50 to P100; increase in the annual dues of its members to P600.00 from P300.00 per year, an assessment fee of 0.5% will also be collected from members on monetary benefits arising from Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA).

The guidelines on the grant of financial assistance were drafted to address issues on coverage, application, and prescription period. In the guidelines, eligible recipients of financial assistance may now receive a maximum amount of P3,000.00.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) awarded the Certificate of CNA Registration to the NCMB-EA. On the 2nd day, the CSC provided an orientation on public sector unionism reiterating the principles of labor-management cooperation and grievance machinery, ideologies that the Board promotes in the private sector.

The occasion was graced by NCMB Executive Director Shirley M. Pasual and Deputy Executive Directors Edmund Mirasol and Maria Teresita Cancio, who were joined by the Technical and Internal Directors, and Division Chiefs from the Central Office. – Lester B. Panem & Diadema A. Aguirre