Labor coalition denounces Senate’s U-turn on workers’ security of tenure in CENECO case

Photo from Official Gazette

 

The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition issued a strongly worded statement, Tuesday, against the Senate majority for voting against the proposed amendment introduced by Deputy Minority Leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros, to include a security of tenure (SOT) provision to the franchise bill being sought by the Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC), a successor company created by the highly controversial joint venture agreement (JVA) between the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and MORE Power.

 

CENECO is a unionized electric cooperative and cannot be considered as ‘ailing’ to merit private takeover.

 

“We are glad there remains a great minority in the Senate in the person of Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Koko Pimentel, who remain committed to the fundamental rights of workers to security of tenure as mandated by the Constitution. But shame on the majority who did a Duterte move on the issue of SOT,” said Nagkaisa in indignation.

 

Duterte, who promised to kill endo lords to end contractualization during his term, reversed himself and vetoed the SOT bill he certified and consequently was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in 2019.

 

“Noong 2019 ay si Duterte ang bumaliktad sa kanyang pangako. Ngayong 2024 ay ang Senado naman, kahit sa maliit lamang na kaso ng 400 na manggagawa ng CENECO na dati nang nagtatamasa ng security of tenure bilang regular workers pero pinatay ng NEPC sa kanyang anti-labor na JVA at application for franchise. Ito ay kahiya-hiyang mga pagkakataon sa ating kasaysayan. Na-Duterte din ang manggagawa sa Senado,” said Nagkaisa.

 

Sen. Hontiveros pointed out this sentiment when she reminded her colleagues that the Senate passed the SOT bill during the time of Duterte, and that laws and jurisprudence on company mergers and consolidation also do not warrant the dismissal of employees of the absorbed company, especially when the company did not cease operations.

 

But all in the majority present in the plenary last night voted against Hontiveros’ SOT amendment to the NEPC franchise. Their votes will enable NEPC to terminate and provide separation pay to CENECO employees, while the latter wait on to be prioritized in the hiring. NEPC also plans to rationalize its operation, thus, the threat of lower wages ‘based on industry standards’ absent the union and CBA for new hires.

 

Nagkaisa also made mention of Sen. Joel Villanueva who voted against the Hontiveros amendment but is the principal author of the SOT bill he refiled in the 19th Congress. Other senators who voted against the amendment also have bills filed recognizing the right of gig workers to be regularized. There are also SOT bills filed in the Senate for government employees who have already rendered long years as job orders or contract of service in the bureaucracy.

 

“Inconsistency and betrayal are truly constants in our political system where loyalty is to the kings and the kingmakers, not to the majority of the people and the working class,” concluded Nagkaisa.

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition

14 May 2024