Tuesday, July 01, 2008 Union officials hit Dole, NCWB
THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) are “playing politics” in entertaining the notice of strike against Anita’s Home Bakeshop Inc. that has caused damage to the company, a union consultant said.
Emmanuel B. Cañete, union consultant, said the notice of strike was filed by the Anita’s Home Bakeshop Workers Union (AHBWU), reportedly an affiliate of ANGLO-KMU (Kilusang Mayo Uno).
Incumbent union
However, Cañete said that NCMB 7 Director Edmundo Mirasol should not have entertained such act because “on record,” there is an existing or incumbent union, the Anita’s Home Bakeshop Inc. Employees Association under president Gilberto Burog.
Cañete said the employees association was registered with Dole in 1986 and their latest collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the bakery firm was approved by Dole 7 last March 12.
He said Dole 7 Director Elias Cayanong must tell ANGLO-KMU that there is an incumbent union at Anita’s.
“This is clearly union raiding by KMU masterminded by Elpidio Caterbas. We are existing. The DOLE and NCMD must junked their notice right away because they have no legal personality to do it,” Cañete added.
Cañete said the 19 personnel, whom Caterbas alleged to have been illegally dismissed from the service, are mostly facing charges in court for large scale qualified theft.
Conspiracy
According to Cañete, these 19 personnel are stealing goods and cash from the company and are acting in conspiracy like a syndicate resulting to millions of pesos in company losses.
He said that when the company caught these personnel committing illegal acts and placed them under investigation, the ANGLO-KMU officers suddenly appeared and announced that they represented the dismissed employees in behalf of their union.
“Why should ANGLO-KMU represent them when these 19 employees were members of the incumbent union? Is ANGLO-KMU a favorite refuge of the law violators?” Cañete said.
Benjamin E. Cabinian, operations manager of Anita’s Home Bakeshop Inc. confirmed Cañete’s statement.
Cabinian said that at one time, the employees who are in-charge of the inventory kept on recommending the purchase of more flour despite the fact that there were still enough stocks.
The new stocks were placed over the old stocks. Because the new stocks were used first, the old stocks rotted in the warehouse and the company lost more than P100,000.
Cabinian said the other employees assigned in branches in Mabolo, Cebu City diverted trucks of supply of bottled mineral water and illegally sold them to water vendors in the streets.
“Instead of promoting productivity, they stole goods and cash from the company,” Cabinian said. (EOB)
