Herrera rebuked for harassing labor department

By TUCP
June 14, 2012

QUEZON CITY  –  The Department of Labor and Employment recently rebuked ex-Senator Ernesto Herrera for his rude objection on the representation of former SSS Commissioner and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) General Secretary, Victorino F. Balais, as adviser and delegate to the 101st Session of the International Labour Conference being held in Geneva, Switzerland.

“Mr. Herrera disputes the right of TUCP GenSec Balais to represent the Filipino workers in the ILC in Geneva. He forgets that Balais represents not just TUCP, but the two biggest labor federations in the country. His own PTGWO and, being its nominee, TUCP President Mendoza’s Associated Labor Unions (ALU),” stated Atty. Hernan Nicdao, TUCP Assistant General Secretary.

The ALU counts among its members the unions in Metrobank, Mitsumi and Philex Mining. More than half of unionized workers in Cebu are card bearing ALU members. On the other hand, the members of PTGWO of Balais are the unions in San Miguel Corp., Coca Cola, Security Bank, Maynilad, Manila Water, MIESCOR, Philippine Racing and Manila Jockey Clubs.

In a statement issued by DOLE Undersecretary Danilo P. Cruz, the Labor department said that in the designation of the Worker’s Delegates to the convention, the DOLE used the criteria of being the “most representative status” under Convention 144 is being used who may represent. The statement conceded that “the first and second largest federations [in the country are] Mr. Democrito Mendoza’s Associated Labor Unions (ALU) and Mr. Victorino Balais’ Philippine Trade and General Workers Organization (PTGWO)”.

“On the other hand, what labor group is Herrera representing? He is president of a very small labor federation which may not even qualify by DOLE standards for lack of the requisite 10 company union members with valid collective bargaining agreements,” continued Nicdao.

“Herrera should stop his illusions of being a labor leader. He is not a labor leader as he leads no groups of workers. His band of TUCP renegades is not just a pocket minority, it is a group of paper labor federations without affiliates or union members. The only ones with actual members are not even legitimate TUCP affiliates,” emphasized Nicdao.