View source for Tire company employees assert rights to create labor unions

*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2015/10/02/tire-company-employees-assert-rights-create-labor-unions-433642
*Friday, October 2, 2015
:By Reynaldo G. Navales

ANGELES CITY -- Workers of Yokohama Tire Philippines, Incorporated (YTPI) recently organized and filed a petition for the right to create labor unions for the rank and file and supervisory personnel of the country’s biggest Japanese tire company located in Clark Freeport.

This was gleaned in a press statement sent by the two unions -- the Alliance of Yokohama Supervisory Personnel and Alliance of Yokohama Employees.

The two unions expressed hopes that their petition be approved by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the Yokohama workers to be certified as bargaining agent with YTPI management.

The organization of labor union of the workers is enshrined in the
Philippine Constitution of 1987, the employees said.

The union groups have affiliated with the Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (PTGWO), which is presently the biggest labor federation in the country.

The PTGWO was originally known as the Philippine Transport Workers Organization (PTWO). It was established in 1953, just after the passage of the Industrial Peace Act (Republic Act 875) or the Magna Carta for Labor.

The founding president is Bro. Roberto S. Oca, Sr. - a labor leader who rose from the ranks in the Port of Manila.

At present, PTGWO has more than 100 labor groups and currently representing the interest of the workers in the transport industry, including the seafarers, workers from the food, beverages, electronics, textile, wood, paper, metal, plastic, services and manufacturing.

Lawyer Arnel Dolendo, PTGWO national president, assured the Yokohama management that a reasonable and responsible labor federation would guide the workers.

Dolendo, one of the experienced labor lawyers in the country, also said that with PTGWO, there will be continued industrial peace in the company (referring to Yokohama) based from the experiences of the companies where PTGWO has a union.

Dolendo urged YTPI to respect the right of the workers to form a union without interference and free from harassment to avoid violation of workers’ right which will constitute unfair labor practice.

Dolendo said the PTGWO is a moderate labor group as the intention of the federation is to continue watching over the fate of the working class in the formal economy. PTGWO considered collective bargaining as a plant-level partnership.

Yesterday, the Yokohama employees and management staff attended a hearing at the DOLE Regional Office for the issuance of the Certificate of Election for the referendum and approval of the groups’ petition to be the rightful organization to collective bargain with their management.