The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday reported an 89% success rate in setting labor disputes through Preventive Mediation (PM). DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) in 2010 disposed of 425 of 476 cases through PM. "The settlement rate indicates our consistency in addressing cases being sent to us and how our people, particularly our conciliator-mediators, act readily on these cases," Baldoz said in an article posted on the DOLE website. PM is an alternative dispute resolution mechanism resorted to by NCMB conciliators-mediators to settle labor disputes in lieu of a notice of strike. Last year’s PM cases came mostly from:
the manufacturing industry, at 49% (202 of the 416 new cases filed); transport, storage and communication, at 16% (or 64 cases); and electricity, gas and water supply sector, at 8%. The other cases were from education (31 cases), agriculture (28 cases), health (13 cases), hotels and restaurants (12 cases), financial intermediation (10 cases), mining (5 cases), construction (3 cases), wholesale and retail trade (20 cases), and real estate (10 cases). The 12 remaining cases came from other service activities. Of the 476 Preventive Mediation cases, 416 were filed in 2010, while the 60 others were carried over from 2009. Baldoz added the 89% disposition rate was similar to the rate posted in 2009. Monetary benefits The NCMB also reported that the cumulative monetary benefits resulted from the settlement of collective bargaining deadlocks were computed at P1.2 billion, benefitting 4,357 workers. On the other hand, cumulative separation and restitution packages amounting to P300 million were also facilitated for 2,897 workers. Unfair labor practices Meanwhile, DOLE Undersecretary for Labor Relations Hans Leo Cacdac said out of the 416 cases filed last year, 366 raised unfair labor practice issues; 40 others were about deadlocks in collective bargaining; and one case raised both issues. He noted that independent unions filed 221 (or 53 percent) of the 416 cases in 2010, while the federations filed 195 (or 47 percent). "Apart from the encouraging disposition rate, we have also registered higher on the settlement rate compared to the preceding year," Cacdac said. He noted that the amicable resolution of 399 cases representing an 84% settlement rate, was three percentage points higher than the figure in 2009. – VVP, GMA News 
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