The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) have agreed to strengthen inter-agency coordination to address collective bargaining concerns among electric cooperatives, including the creation of a joint technical working group that will draft a Manual on Collective Bargaining and establish a National Tripartite Council for Electric Cooperatives.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino and NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda reached the agreement during a meeting on Monday, following concerns raised by the National Union of Workers in the Power Industry over issues affecting the implementation of collective bargaining agreements.
DOLE said the initiative aims to provide clearer guidelines for labor and management while promoting industrial peace through tripartite cooperation among workers, employers and government.
The department stressed that the initiative aims to improve labor management relations, streamline the review of collective bargaining agreements, and uphold the country’s commitments under International Labor Organization Convention No. 98 on the promotion of collective bargaining and social dialogue.