Union members hold strike

MEMBERS of the Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) Davao Employees Union (RDEU) started Tuesday their planned strike in front of the station along Corner Anda and Bonifacio streets in Davao City.

The union protests the management's refusal to negotiate with the members on the unfinished economic provisions of their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) approved on November 11, 2011.

RMN Davao's dxDC 621 and IFM Davao went off-air as its rank and file employees joined the strike.

The approved CBA stipulates provisions such as a lump sum will be given to all members of the union for the first year, specifically P10,000 for the five years and one day and above length of service; and, P6,000 for five years and below.

In the second and third negotiations, union members and the management were supposed to discuss wage increase, rice subsidy, meal allowance, and the proposed close shop provision on May 2012.

RDEU president Rey Hernan Fabe said the resumption of the negotiations on the CBA was stalled because the station's president and chief executive officer Eric Canoy was out of the country.

RDEU members then filed a notice of strike before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) Davao Region on June 4.

He said RMN management wanted to review the provisions of the CBA and come up with another agreement, which the union members opposed.

He added that the NCMB-Dole has facilitated Tuesday a negotiation between union members and representatives from station's management.
"Bago me maki-pagnegotiate og usab, ila usa iimplement ang CBA (We will not negotiate with them, unless they implement everything in the CBA)," he said.

He added that they will only allow another discussion for new provisions with the top management if it fully implements the current CBA.

"Ang demand sa RDEU ipatuman ang mga probisyon og ipadayon ang negotiation alang sa 2nd and 3rd year nga usbaw sa suhulan (The demand of RDEU is for the management to implement the economic provisions and pursue the 2nd and 3rd year increase in salary)," Fabe said.

The station's management in Davao City tried to tap two radio technicians from RMN General Santos City to operate the hampered operation, but this did not prosper as union members disallowed them from doing so.

As of this posting Tuesday, the news program of dxDC 621 RMN Davao is a feed from RMN Manila programs while IFM Davao is still off air.