Tuesday, October 09, 2007 Mediation fails to settle labor row
THE National Labor Relations Commission-Regional Arbitration Branch (NLRC-RAB) 7 has required former pastor Rev. Jose Bailey Bernaldez and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Inc. (UCCP) to come up with a position paper on a labor complaint Bernaldez filed for illegal dismissal.
This was after the second brief mandatory conference yesterday failed to settle the complaint.
Labor arbiter Jose Guiterrez, who presided over the conference, said UCCP is willing to add P2,000 more to its original computation of P98,000 as financial assistance to Bernaldez’s family.
Benefits
Bernaldez refused, saying that P100,000 is not enough to cover the benefits that he should receive from the church.
He alleged that he was eight months shy of his four-year contract with UCCP when he was illegally dismissed last Sept. 6.
Last Sept. 10, he filed a complaint before NLRC-RAB 7. His complaint, filed specifically against Dr. Carlito Impas of the Board of Elders, showed that he was not also paid his 13th-month pay, service incentive leave, allowances and separation pay.
Moral damages
He also demanded moral and exemplary damages and attorney’s fees.
Guiterrez required the two parties to submit a position paper after 10 days.
“The papers will contain their argument and evidence, which I will study and decide whether the dismissal of Bernaldez was legal or illegal. If legal, wala’y makuha ang complainant. If illegal, he will get the benefits he wants after further study. I told them that there will be no personal bias involved. Everybody must be protected,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
Quoting a bible passage, Guiterrez said “it would have been better if the complaint was resolved during the conference because God did not encourage brothers to go to court against each other and before unbelievers.”
When Sun.Star Cebu tried to get statements from both parties, they refused to issue any.
Bernaldez’s counsel, lawyer Chezie Demegillo, said he is willing to furnish the media with a copy of their position paper. (NRC)
