Talks deadlocked: Lepanto mine unions file notices of strike

By Leonida Tundagui

BAGUIO CITY – Workers of Lepanto Consolidated and Mining Co. filed here Friday notices of strike at the regional office of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board-Cordillera for unfair labor practices and union busting.

The Lepanto Employees Union- National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno and the Lepanto Security Force Union-KMU decided to file the notice of strike because of unresolved issues and problems between them and the mining company.

The labor unions accused the company of unfair labor practice including gross violation of their collective bargaining agreement which consists of unpaid wages and benefits and implementation of the work rotation scheme.

The LCMC is based in Lepanto, Mankayan, Benguet.

The union busting issue includes contractualization of labor and termination while hiring new workers on contractual basis.

The LEU-NAFLU-KMU and the LSFU-NAFLU-KMU signed their respective Collective Bargaining Agreements with the LCMC on April 25.
Michael Cabangon, spokesperson, KMU-Cordillera and

Manuel Binahaon, Jr, president of LEU-NAFLU-KMU bared these saying the CBA contained among others, wage increases, fringe benefits and other terms and conditions of employment to uplift the economic condition of the workers.

However, both said, in spite of the commitment of the parties to comply in good faith with the provisions of the said CBA, LCMC reneged in its duty and failed or refused to fulfill its obligation under the agreement.

To make matter worse, union officials said LCMC failed and/or refused to remit the employees’ contributions to the Social Security System (SSS), thereby depriving its employees the benefits from it.

In totality, the LCMC reportedly owed its workers some P250 million for unpaid wages and unremitted benefits.

As a result of alleged violations of the provisions of the CBA and the law by the LCMC, the unions, filed with the

N CMB-Cordillera preventive mediation cases.

However, parties didn’t come up with agreements thus the unions decided to file a notice of strike.

Union officials said this could result to another strike should the company continue to violate labor standards of the law and the provisions of their collective bargaining agreement.