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Friday, October 05, 2007
Workers' protest shuts down mining facility
TAMPAKAN -- Operations of a foreign-backed huge mining venture in this South Cotabato town have grounded to a halt for five days now after workers padlocked the main office and set up road blockades.
The acts of the workers are to show their disgust with management, said labor and local government leaders Thursday.
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An estimated 100 workers of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) split into four groups and stationed themselves on strategic points in the town to paralyze firm operations. Global mining player Xstrata Copper owns a majority share in Sagittarius.
Australian firm Indophil Resources NL, which Alsons Corporation of the local Alcantara group has a stake in, is the other partner at Sagittarius.
Nilo Reysoma, board member of the SMI Workers Association, said the padlocking of the main office, barricade in Barangay Tablu that leads to the base camp of the firm, and protest actions at the villages of Lambayong and Liberty, where the firm's ore farm is located, were caused by management's decision not to absorb them as regular workers.
"There are around 200 people working in the company for two to three years now who have not been regularized," he said.
Recently, however, Sagittarius announced through a local television the opening of 37 jobs for regular positions, mostly drivers.
Reysoma slammed the firm's action, saying there is an existing pool of workers that can fill the positions yet the company opened the recruitment to the general public.
Officials of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) regional office rushed to the town Wednesday morning to assess the problem.
"We got orders from the national office to settle the problem before it gets worse. This situation is not healthy both for the management and the workers," said Wilfredo Santos, mediation officer of NCMB-Central Mindanao.
Santos coordinated with the local government unit, which is supporting the fight of the workers for regularization, for the holding of a dialogue between the management and employees.
Acting Vice Mayor Relly Leysa told mediation board officials that there have been a series of dialogues between the workers and the management since December 2006.
In a July 24 meeting, Leysa said that Sagittarius offered to come up with a regularization policy that will be presented after two months.
But the period has elapsed without a clear response the management on the demand of the workers for regularization until Sagittarius eventually announced the opening of 37 jobs for regular positions, he added.
"The local government unit stands behind the struggle of the workers for regularization. Their demand is valid. They are existing workers and they should be absorbed as regular employees," Leysa said.
In a letter dated September 21 and signed by Mark Williams, Sagittarius general manager, the company said it has completed a comprehensive review of its future manpower requirements based on the direction the company intends to take.
"The review was an objective process...as a result we identified 37 new regular positions and a number of project-based roles that will be employed for short-term durations," Williams wrote.
He added: "The new positions will be opened to competent and qualified local residents. The employment process will be implemented following the company's recruitment procedure and selection criteria based on merit."
Based on an attached company recruitment policy, it stated that "SMI must attract, retain, and develop high caliber people. Efforts will be made to fill positions, in the first instance, through international promotion and transfers. When this cannot be achieved, a rigorous external recruitment process will be initiated."
Reysoma noted that the firm should not have announced a new hiring but absorbed existing workers qualified to the position.
"We will continue with our protest until our complaints are acted upon appropriately," Reysoma said.
He added that while the base camp of Sagittarius in hinterland Barangay Tablu is still functioning, they would block trucks loaded with diesel oil going to it to render its technical operations dysfunctional.
At the principal office in the poblacion area, operations are totally shut down with only security guards left in the facility.
Leysa said the municipal council has been contacting Sagittarius for a dialogue following the start of the protest action last Monday.
In an October 1 letter to Williams of Sagittarius, Leysa said "the company's decision to post 37 new regular positions appears to be bluntly astute, shrewd move, and eventually deviates from the purpose of addressing genuinely the overwhelming moral and legal demand of your workers numbering to 200 more or less, seeking regular status after rendering a long and sustained service in your company...."
The protesting workers said in past instances, Sagittarius chooses an employee but hires him or her through an employment agency.
They also said Sagittarius implements a policy wherein employees have to renew their service contracts on a weekly basis.
But in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon, Sagittarius said it has reviewed key hiring practices as part of its commitment to support local employment opportunities at the mines development site.
The move came in response to recent discussions with local officials, community members, and rotational workers that have highlighted the need to revise and improve the current rotational worker system, it added.
"We are saddened by the action taken last Monday by a small group of agency and rotational workers because SMI is committed to sustainable employment practices that are aligned with our project's operational requirements and international best practice, and in line with what the community desires and expects," explained SMI project manager Gerardo Laviste.
"We would still welcome the opportunity to meet with them to discuss their concerns," he added.
He said: "After our discussions with local officials, community members and rotational workers, we reviewed our current work program in order to verify our manpower needs and the functions detailed in the rotational roster. Based on this review, SMI is creating 37 regular positions, and an additional 55 positions on SMI's drilling program which extends to late 2008."
SMI will also embark on a comprehensive review of its rotational worker scheme to ensure hiring practices are equitable, open, and transparent, the statement said. (BSS/Sun.Star Davao)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (October 5, 2007 issue)
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