DOLE Davao Regional Director Joffrey M. SuyaoA labor dispute monitoring committee aimed to protect and preserve employment has been revitalized.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Davao Region in coordination with the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) XI recently reorganized the Regional Inter-Agency Coordinating and Monitoring Committee (RICMC).

RICMC takes the lead to explore all remedies and avenues necessary and feasible to peacefully settle a potential or actual strike, picket or lockout or any labor dispute.

Administrative Order No. 125, Series of 2012, issued on 27 February 2012, ordered for the creation of RICMC.

“We have already constituted this body in 2012. But through time leadership among our partner agencies have changed, thus we need to reorganized, set another rounds of orientation and meetings even before labor disputes happen as  part of proactive and preventive  move against labor-related problems,” said DOLE Davao regional director Joffrey M. Suyao.

The committee is composed of the core and Quick Preventive Response Team (QPRT). The core group is composed of  DOLE regional office 11 as lead agency and members Regional Conciliation and Mediation Board 11, National Labor Relation Conciliation and Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Office 11.

The QPRT Group includes Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) 11, Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) Southern Mindanao Office ,Overseas Workers Wlefare (OWWA) 11; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA 11; Occupations Safety and health Center; Employees Compensation Commission, DOLE Provincial Offices PNP Provincial Offices, LGUs and Public Employment Service Offices.

DOLE has sole and exclusive jurisdiction in resolving labor disputes. Its attached agency, the NCMB, exercises primary jurisdiction in the resolution of strikes, picketing or lockout or any labor dispute through conciliation-mediation.

NCMB Executive Director Reynaldo R. Ubaldo“We hope to establish a permanent RICMC as we discuss the Terms of Reference today. It is also hoped that we expand in numbers to help DOLE and NCMB in monitoring and preventing possible labor disputes,” Suyao said.

Further, Suyao noted that Davao region is generally peaceful when it comes to labor-management relationship.

Aside from labor preservation, RICMC will explore all remedies/avenues necessary and feasible to peaceful settlement of potential actual strike, picket or lock out or any labor dispute especially those considered as high profile cases and those imbued with national interest; and undertake coordination efforts through information sharing and data gathering.