AROUND 100 employees of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) who are members of the company’s union walked out of their office to protest the poor corporate status of the government-owned utility provider.
MCWD Employees Union president Abigail Almeria said the employees picketed Friday, August 19, 2022, to urge the current members of the board of directors to step down from their positions.
In a recent press conference, the union, which has 500 members, accused the board of the low income generated by the water district in the past two years.
Data presented by Almeria showed that from P211.35 million in 2019, the income of MCWD had been reduced to only P34.27 million in 2021.
The amount of non-revenue water had also increased from 23.66 percent in 2019 to 30.05 percent in 2021, she added.
Should the poor performance continue, the employees feared that the government-owned water district will be privatized and will have a negative effect on its consumers.
Almeria told SunStar Cebu that the employees union will conduct a series of mass actions in the upcoming days to inform the public about the real status of MCWD.
The union is also asking the chief executives of the local government units within the franchise area of the water district to intervene and join them in their cause.
Almeria is also hoping that Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will hear the sentiments of the employees.
"Isip appointing authority sa board of directors sa board of directors sa MCWD, nanghinaut mi nga makadungog si Cebu City Mayor Rama sa among gipadayag nga sentimyento," said Almeria.
Rama has not issued a statement yet on the matter.
The MCWD management, in a statement, assured its customers that despite the financial difficulties it is facing, it continues to find ways to improve its services. (IRT)