Good News
National Conciliation and Mediation Board
Regional Branch No. IV-A
19 July 2017

LAGUNA – The actual strike case between the management of Nestle Philippines Lipa factory and the Manggagawa ng Nestle Lipa Factory – Philippine Transport and General Workers’ Organization (NCWU-PTGWO) finally came to a conclusion on 14 July 2017.

The actual strike case, which lasted for two months and two days since its declaration on 12 May 2017, was successfully settled with a five-year CBA package with a computed cost benefit of P223M.

The CBA provides for a P12,000.00-wage hike package spread over the span of five years and a host of other benefits such as increase in medical and hospitalization benefits, Christmas and birthday packages to name a few.

According to Conciliator-Mediator  Deila D. Yu, the branch conducted a series of conciliation-mediation conferences in an effort to settle the dispute between  the two parties.  Due to the hard stance  of both parties on their original position, the Board initiated to seek the assistance  of DOLE Secretary Silvestre H. Bello.

Management and union settled their dispute before DOLE Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III at the Office of the Secretary of Labor in Intramuros Manila with the assistance of Undersecretary Claro A. Arellano.

The conciliation team is composed of Conciliator-mediator Ma. Delia Yu, NCMB Director Jun Orihuela, and  Deputy Executive Director Maria Teresita L. Cancio under the leadership of NCMB Executive Director Shirley M. Pascual.

Accordingly, negotiation began last July of 2016 thru a series of meetings of both negotiating panels. Said negotiation proved to be unsuccessful at plant-level, union filed a preventive mediation case with the Branch on 26 October 2016 on the ground of CBA deadlock. Said PM case matured to a notice of strike on 09 January 2017, which then materialized  into an actual strike case on 12 May 2017.

Nestle Lipa factory serves as the supply center of malt for Milo products. Nestle Philippines is currently chaired by its chief executive Jacques Reber. The Union, on one hand, is currently headed by its president Rolan Mercado. The union has a total membership of 263 rank and file employees at present.-Gerard Peter C. Mariano & Diadema A. Aguirre; Editing by Marife E. Fausto