Monday, July 23, 2007 Labor dep’t takes over labor row of bus firm
THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has assumed jurisdiction at the labor row plaguing the largest bus operator plying the cities of Davao City-General Santos-Koronadal to avert paralyzing the route and stranding thousands of passengers, an official said Saturday.
Tomas Biboso, National Conciliation and Mediation Board-Central Mindanao director, said Labor Secretary Arturo Brion has issued an assumption of jurisdiction order that was served to the management of Yellow Bus Line, Inc. and the labor union.
Yellow Bus recently hogged national media attention following the separate bombings of its two units in Tacurong City and Koronadal City blamed on extortionists.
Police believed the separate bombings that injured three persons were perpetrated by only one group.
"The employees could no longer go on strike because there's an assumption of jurisdiction order [from Mr. Brion]. It's a national interest issue. Many passengers would be stranded and the economy of Koronadal will be affected," Biboso said.
Earlier, workers threatened to paralyze the bus firm's operations because of dissatisfaction with the management on alleged unfair labor practices grounds, arising on the suspension of some union members.
For decades, Yellow Bus, owned by the Yap family, has dominated the Davao-GenSan-Koronadal route with their more than 50 fleets operating on a daily basis.
The firm employs more than 200 workers.
Biboso said the labor union filed a notice of strike last June 15 and the employees conducted a strike vote on June 28.
Results were submitted to the regional conciliation office on July 13 and the workers were supposed to hold the strike last Friday.
It did not push through, however.
The law provides a seven-day period for a strike to start from the time it was filed with the mediation board.
Biboso urged both sides to settle their differences amicably and expressed hopes it can be done through a meeting scheduled Monday.
Jessie Rivas, the union's spokesperson, declined to comment on the assumption of jurisdiction order issued by the Labor department as he confirmed receiving the order.
"We have no exact plans as the officers and the members will still have a meeting on Monday," Rivas said on Saturday.
In the past few years, the bus company's labor union has threatened to paralyze the firm's operations by holding a strike but these did not push through supposedly because management and the labor union ironed their differences.
Among the common demands of the workers was increase in salary.
Biboso said he also recommended to the Labor department secretary to assume jurisdiction since the nature of operation of the company concerns the public.
