Over 100 staff, retirees, and shareholders of the Oriental Port and Allied Companies Company (OPASCOR) are calling for Lawyer Tomas Riveral, the chief government officer, to step down and vacate his place on Tuesday, September 17.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Nationwide Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) has scheduled a mediation convention on September 23, 2024, in response to escalating tensions on the Oriental Port and Allied Companies Company (Opascor).
This comes after over 200 workers, retirees, and shareholders petitioned for the fast resignation of CEO Lawyer Tomas Riveral and Common Supervisor Florimae Velasco on September 17. They accused them of mismanagement, battle of curiosity, and neglecting their duties to the workforce.
Discover of strike filed
On September 19, Dennis Arciega, president of Native 1 Union and barangay captain of Tinago, Cebu Metropolis, filed a discover of strike in opposition to the administration, citing unfair labor practices.
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In his criticism, he referenced the violation of Article 259 (e), which includes discrimination concerning wages, hours of labor, and different phrases and circumstances of employment geared toward discouraging union membership.
He additionally pointed to the failure to implement Article IV, Part 1 (a) – (b) of the Collective Bargaining Settlement (CBA) and raised considerations about union busting, accusing the administration of actions supposed to undermine or dissolve the union.
The petition, filed on September 17, known as for the 2 high officers to step down, claiming that their continued management might trigger “additional injury” to the corporate.
The scheduled mediation can be held on the Division of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional workplace, the place each Riveral and representatives from the employees, retirees, and shareholders will meet to debate the problems outlined within the petition.
Mediator Rosemarie Oxinio will preside over the discussions, that are anticipated to sort out allegations of company mismanagement, nepotism, monetary opacity, and failure to carry elections for board members in over twenty years.
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Change in Opascor management sought
The petitioners, led by Arciaga, have expressed willpower to see fast change inside the firm’s management.
“Ania mi karon, nisyagit tungod sa pagpanlugpig, dili na maayo og pagdala sa administration,” Arciaga stated on Sept. 17.
(We’re right here, shouting due to being regarded down, it’s not being managed nicely by administration.)
He highlighted the frustrations of the employees, who really feel sidelined by a management they declare has operated with out accountability for years.
Arciaga famous that many staff, retirees, and shareholders had lengthy felt marginalized as a result of absence of elections for board members, which have been mandated by regulation to happen yearly.
Battle of curiosity
The petitioners accused Riveral of permitting private enterprise pursuits to intervene with Opascor’s operations, citing a battle of curiosity involving his family-owned firm, ZRI, which had performed enterprise with Opascor.
The petition additionally pointed to the appointment of unqualified relations to key administration positions, fueling accusations of nepotism and contributing to the erosion of belief inside the firm.
Along with considerations about transparency and company governance, the petition outlined how the corporate’s failure to reveal monetary statements had left staff and shareholders at the hours of darkness concerning Opascor’s true monetary standing.
The withholding of crucial monetary knowledge, alongside the alleged misappropriation of actual properties, has solely deepened the rift between administration and its stakeholders.
Opascor, which offers stevedoring and cargo-handling companies on the Cebu Worldwide Port (CIP), performs a vital function within the native economic system.
Employees complaints
Nevertheless, in keeping with the petitioners, its staff have suffered from an absence of wage will increase, decreased additional time alternatives, and insufficient help for retirees, all whereas the corporate’s management had been accused of indulging in lavish spending on private tasks.
“Ang gipaabot sa mga retirees ug mga mamumuo nga dapat mag-election gyud kay sa balaod kada tuig man,” Arciaga added.
(What the retirees and the employees are ready is that there ought to be an election that can be held yearly.)
He additional burdened the necessity for democratic elections to revive staff’ and shareholders’ confidence within the management.
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