Region III – Universal Robina Corporation and Cebu Industrial Management Corporation Employee Union resolved their deadlocked items, eventually leading to the conclusion of their five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on 21 February 2024. The conciliation-mediation process and the settlement were facilitated by Conciliator-Mediator Othello B. Tongio, Jr. of the Regional Conciliation and Mediation Branch III (RCMB III). 

Union filed a Notice of Strike (NOS) against the Company on the grounds of bargaining deadlock and wage distortion. A month after its filing and a couple of conferences later, parties were able to agree on salary adjustments and a few deadlocked items, such as effectivity and coverage of the CBA and provision of employee shuttle service. 

As a gesture of good faith, the Union decided to withdraw the NOS and convert it to a Preventive Mediation (PM) case. The conversion allowed the parties to freely talk through and float their options for possible settlement without the threat of a strike.

On 21 February 2024, parties agreed on the terms and conditions of the remaining deadlocked items, leading to the conclusion of their CBA covering the period 16 June 2023 to 15 June 2028. The CBA shall implement wage increases of 5-6% of the employees’ basic pays each year. All wage and wage-related benefits are agreed to be applied retroactively. 

Further, the five (5) items discussed and settled during the plant-level negotiations (worker’s educational subsidy, union office rental subsidy, union leave, HMO, union service) shall form part of the CBA. Management also agreed to provide loot bags during the Christmas Part and Family Fun Day. 

Strengthening cooperation between the parties, the Company’s Labor Management Committee/Council (LMC) shall be utilized to discuss the items on uniform, medical allowance, employee gifts, and the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI). The RCMB III scheduled a plant-level orientation seminar on Labor Management Cooperation and Grievance Machinery-Voluntary Arbitration on 07 March 2024 at 9 AM. 

The issue on wage distortion/compression, on the other hand, shall be submitted before the voluntary arbitration.

The estimated economic package for the CBA amounted to P125,000,000.00, benefiting 219 employees. 

END/eloisa aquino