Clark airport workers hold rally over bargain deal

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

CLARK FREEPORT -- Scores of workers at the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) held Tuesday a lightning rally, demanding for their benefits under the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with their management.

The CIAC employees, belonging to the Samahan ng mga Manggagawa sa DMIA (Diosdado Macapagal International Airport) or SMD, assailed the CIAC management for allegedly ignoring the 2011 CBA and refusing to release their basic wage increase (P1,000 per employee) and other benefits.

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However, CIAC president Victor Jose Luciano denied the employees’ claims, saying the CIAC Board and management recognizes the CBA.

PAMPANGA. Dozens of employees belonging to the Samahan ng mga Mangagawa sa DMIA stage a lightning rally in front of the CIAC building. (Chris Navarro)

According to Luciano, the CIAC Board already approved the agreement and that its members are just waiting for the approval of Malacanang regarding the release of the workers’ benefits.

Luciano said the corporation cannot release the benefits without the approval of Malacañang and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

He also clarified that release of the workers’ benefits under the CBA will be retroactive, which means the CIAC employees will receive their perks starting January 2011 when the CBA was ratified.

In a position paper, the SMD stated that the CIAC management refused to negotiate with the employees.

The workers’ union also stated that on July 21, 2011, the negotiation was completed and the employees were able to get salary increase of P750, Care Allowance of P250, and one-time bonus of P12,000.

However, the CIAC management failed to release these benefits.

“However, when we demanded for its incorporation into the CBA and for the release of the benefits, the management just said they are waiting for the approval from Malacanang,” the group said in vernacular.

SMD head Marvin Pineda said there are no provisions under Republic Act 10149 (Government Owned and Controlled Corporation or GOCC Governance Act of 2011) that the CBA wage increase will have to be approved first by the Governance Commission.

Pineda said the workers will continue their rally until the CIAC management released their benefits.

He also said that their dialogue with the CIAC management at 2 p.m. Wednesday will bring favorable results on the employees’ part.

CIAC Vice President for Operations Reynaldo Catacutan, for his part, said the CIAC leadership should implement the workers’ salary increase based on the previous CBA.

“I think the workers’ benefits should be released under the previous CBA pending the approval of the new CBA which we, in the CIAC Board, approved in September last year,” Catacutan said.

He also cited the opinion of the workers’ legal council stating that there are no Committee on Governance Commission as GOCCs have no directive to withhold the employees benefits under the CBA.