Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District) said the financial and fiscal management of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) needs to be reviewed so the issues of labor and consumer service can be addressed.
“A proper review of the entirety of CENECO’s operations and what’s wrong with CENECO is due,” Benitez said on Tuesday, February 8.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assumed jurisdiction over the labor dispute between CENECO’s management and employees, and averted a looming strike on Monday.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III is set to hold a virtual meeting with leaders of the CENECO Union of Rational Employees on February 14, Valentine’s Day, to listen to their demands, CURE president Stephanie Montaner said.
CURE members had voted 291-10 to strike citing management’s failure to implement their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and some were disappointed that they were stopped, she said.
However, non-compliance with the DOLE order would be grounds for their dismissal, she added.
They are hoping Bello compels the CENECO management to honor its CBA obligations on Valentine’s Day, Montaner said.
She said CENECO has not implemented their already approved CBA that grants them a 5 percent increase in salaries every two years, various bonuses and allowances.
CENECO acting manager Jose Taniongon said they were thankful that the strike was held off so the cooperative’s operations would not be paralyzed.
He said they are committed to paying what is due their employees but need to comply with a National Electrification Administration directive for CENECO to first hit 95 percent collection efficiency.
“We will give the benefits of the employees but cannot do it immediately,” he said.
Benitez said “there is something wrong and apparently endemic to Ceneco at the moment and I hope the management and the board of Ceneco will find ways to properly address these lapses and deficiencies.”
“It needs to be addressed at the soonest possible time,” he added.*