DAVAO CITY – Rank-and-file employees of Luzon Brokerage Corporation (LBC) Davao filed a notice of strike before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board-11 on Wednesday following a CBA deadlock.
The LBC Davao Employees Union-Association of Democratic Labor Organizations-Kilusang Mayo Uno (LBCDEU-ADLO-KMU) said that they are now poised to strike to claim their right to a just CBA.
Butch Gajudo, president of LBCDEU-ADLO-KMU, said that the union declared a deadlock as early as April 16 but LBC Express SEM management filed a preventive mediation case in order to settle the deadlock.
He said after four sittings in the preventive mediation case, the management continued to refute the union’s assertions that it profited well over P57 million for years 2013 to 2014, including a total of P8.2 billion sales last year.
“All we hear from LBC is how it is losing, how the company is suffering “zero growth” for the past years and therefore pleading our indulgence. But the company’s market decisions and behavior tell the opposite,” Gajudo said.
“How can LBC afford to pay its recent A-list celebrity endorsers such as Manny Pacquiao and Kris Aquino, who undoubtedly get tens of millions of pesos in fees, but cannot give the union its current demand at 2.739M for two years?” he said.
The union initially proposed for a 15% salary increase and benefits amounting to a total of P9.299M for two years but in the course of negotiations lowered its demand to 7% or P3.154 M total for two years and eventually to 5% or a total of P2.739M for two years.
The union filed the notice of strike on Monday. Under the Labor Code, in case of CBA deadlock, there is a mandated cooling-off period of 30 days and a 7-day strike ban after the submission of a strike vote.
