DUMAGUETE CITY -- A strike looms at the Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative 1 (NORECO 1) based in Bindoy, Negros Oriental following a strike vote among members of the employees' union who are also members of the Philippine Agriculture Commercial Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (PACIWU-TUCP).
Union president Marlito Amante disclosed that 15 out of 18 holding supervisory positions in the electric cooperative voted in favor of the strike.
Also, 87 of 97 employees who sent a letter-complaint before the National Electrification Administration (NEA) also cast their ballots with 82 in favor, four with spoiled ballots and only one voting against it.
The tentative schedule for the strike is on September 5, 2017.
Amante wanted to reach out to the member-consumers in the NORECO I coverage area that they are doing this in order to protect the interest of the cooperative members, in seeking the ouster of the general manager Juvileo D. Acabal.
Lack of satisfactory management decision making and aptitude skills, excessive usage of cooperative vehicle for personal purposes, unwarranted liquidation of expenses for non-coop related dealings, unauthorized claims of information dissemination allowance based on NEA audit findings and abuse of management prerogative through repetition of similar lapses on the hiring, promotion of unqualified applicants to fill-up plantilla positions are among the complaints raised by the employees’ union before the National Electrification Administration.
In response to the letter complaint, NORECO I general manager Acabal accused 97 of the total 121 regular employees of the cooperative for libel. A preliminary investigation was conducted Thursday at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
Acabal, together with the cooperative’s lawyer, Whelma Yap, were present along with the 97 employees who were represented by their legal counsel, Atty. Dante Zamora.
In an interview Thursday afternoon, Garnet Yso, chapter president of PACIWU NORECO and Amante, said they would have wanted the issue to be resolved internally that is why they directed their letter-complaint to the proper authorities, only to be accused of libel.
The NEA deputy administrator for electric cooperative management services had furnished a copy of the leadership performance evaluation and assessment of working relationship among employees and other stakeholders of the cooperative.
On the aspect of environmental scanning, participated in by 116 regular employees, regarding GM Acabal’s leadership, management, performance and his relationship towards the employees, the results showed that 84 employees graded him poorly, 15 rated him satisfactorily, nine, very satisfactory and eight, outstanding.
As to questions of his leadership and management style, GM Acabal had 21 employees for him, 11 have abstained while 84 or 72.41 percent of the employees are not amenable to the way he runs the cooperative.
In view of the foregoing premises, NEA has recommended to Acabal the conduct of constant communication and consultation with the employees, and that policies regarding the concerns raised by the employees must be formulated or revisited through a board resolution.
Also, the GM department, area and division managers including management and staff must undergo a supervisors’ training course and for the board of directors, the GM, management and staff to exercise cooperativism, team work, dialogue and dedication to work for the capability of the employees, financial viability and power service reliability, and for the BOD to convene a dialogue between NORECO I concerned employees and the GM to talk, discuss and patch up differences for the sake of the consumers.
Despite these findings and recommendations, union members were charged with libel before the provincial prosecutor's office.
In an interview, both Amante and Yso claimed they have on their side the board of directors who approved a resolution terminating the general manager, but NEA has still to act on it. (PNA)
* Stay at Home and START YOUR OWN blog site, business or personal website, or e-commerce store at
www.wirenine.comLinkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=107321.0
