The Ceneco Union of Rational Employees (CURE) filed a notice of strike before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) in Bacolod City on Wednesday, its president Felix Gepilga Jr. said Thursday, March 7.
Gepilga said the NCMB has summoned the contending parties to a conference on Friday.
CURE cited Collective Bargaining Agreement violations in their notice of strike, especially on the security of tenure of Central Negros Electric Cooperative’s employees, he said.
The security of tenure of the employees was not included in the joint venture agreement entered into by Ceneco, which will allow the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) to take over its power distribution services.
Rey Gorgonio, CURE lawyer, said the majority of the CENECO employees are against the JVA and NEPC.
Arnel Lapore, CENECO acting general manager, in response said there are already 250 employees of CENECO who manifested their desire to join NEPC.
Ceneco has about 420 employees, he said.
Lapore said they are honoring the provisions in the CBA and have entered into the JVA because they are looking at the best interest of CENECO’s consumers.
A strike will not be good for CENECO’s consumers, Lapore said.*