Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Tension heightens over port cargo operations takeover By Victor L. Camion
OVER a hundred port workers are protesting the takeover by a new firm of Dumaguete City port operations at past midnight Tuesday.
There was heightened tension when stevedoring and arrastre workers blocked Prudential Customs Brokerage Services, Inc. (PCBSI) personnel from coming into the port area.
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has turned over cargo port operations to PCBSI Tuesday. The firm won the bid to handle cargo operations at the Dumaguete port way back in 2006.
The PPA, through former port manager Naome Calderon, turned operations over to PCBSI late last year but workers affiliated with the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) blocked the new operator from coming into the port.
The workers were also those who blocked PCBSI personnel from coming into the port Tuesday.
Just like the last time, ALU-TUCP members staged a picket at the port.
ALU-TUCP provincial coordinator Felizardo Calimpong said they secured a notice of strike after the new cargo operator refused to absorb the original workers.
Joel Obar, PCBSI legal counsel, said the employment in the arrastre and stevedoring operations is a management prerogative. He added though that the workers could apply for a slot.
Newly installed port manager Renato Titulenero, in a separate interview, said PCBSI is not obligated to absorb the union members.
PPA took over the arrastre and stevedoring services at the port before the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between CISAI and union members expired in 2004.
Effects
As the situation at the port worsens, Mayor Agustin Perdices and Governor Emilio Macias II expressed their apprehensions on the effects this would have on the city.
In a meeting held at the office of the port manager Monday afternoon, both Macias and Perdices asked the port manager and the PCBSI management to absorb the union members to avoid conflict.
But PCBSI, represented by Obar, maintained that they are not required to absorb the union members.
Mayor Perdices said he is apprehensive that the strike might affect the prices of basic commodities.
He cited the strike last year that affected the businessmen as well as port operations. It had a domino effect on the prices of basic and prime commodities.
The strike that lasted for a month resulted in income losses of nearly P20 million to the PPA and shipping lines.
The strike was stopped after the labor secretary ordered the PPA to resume port operations.
