The Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Incorporated settled a pair of Preventive Mediation cases the previous month filed by two of its registered labor unions.

 

The beverage company's bottling plants unions in Calasiao, Pangasinan and San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte elevated their concerns to this Office on May 16 and 17, 2013, respectively.

 

The Calasiao Monthlies Union, through its president Mr. Julius Calaunan, was particular on the issue of unfair labor practice regarding the violation of their CBA provision on Performance Evaluation.

 

Three of its members, namely Marlene Gamata, Gil Munos and Roser Caramat, who are all finance clerks, clamored for not having been given salary increase for the year 2012. Salary increases in the Calasiao plant are based on a monthly performance evaluation done on score cards given to each employee.

 

According to the Union, the three were not given any score cards. Thus, they have asked the management to furnish them copies of the same corresponding to each concerned employee. The latter failed to show proof of not giving the salary increase to the former, even after efforts to iron out the issue through their Work Improvement Committee and Grievance Machinery, prompting the filing of the PM case.

 

On the May 22, 2013 conference, the management opted to get things done at the plant level. The Union agreed to once again bring the issue to their grievance machinery and try to reach a settlement.

 

As of the moment, per monitoring, the same has already been settled and the company's report of settlement will soon be received by the Branch.

 

On the other hand, the PM case filed by the Ilocos Plant Employees' Union at the San Nicolas plant was due to delayed overtime, premium, night shift differential, and holiday pay. Since contracting the Business Process Outsource , Incorporated (BPOI) for the company's automated payroll services over a year ago, the said delay was left unsolved.

 

The problem emanated from erroneous log recorded by the biometric device upon time - in and time - out forcing corrective measures. The employee has to report the matter to the supervisor and the latter will correct and approve the same using the Daily Labor Utilization Report (DLUR). The Union has proposed a scheme on when to integrate the supposed pay of the employee depending on who is at fault but the management did nothing. Instead, they pointed the blame on BPOI.

 

During the May 27, 2013 talks, parties signed a Compromise Agreement. They have agreed to have a dialogue with the BPOI in order to address the issue.

 

(Lester B. Panem)