Philex mine workers mull strike amidst CBA deadlock
TUBA, Benguet– The Philex Mining Corporation, the country’s largest gold and copper producer, on Wednesday expressed confidence it could work out an amicable deal with its workers’ union even as the rank-and-file voted to go on strike after negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement reached a deadlock.
In a regulatory filing before the Philippine Stock Exchange, the company said that the Philex Mines Independent Labor Union (PMILU) submitted the results of the strike vote referendum on December 27, 2021 to the Department of Labor and Employment for the agency’s information and further needed action.
On October 23, 2021, PMILU allegedly rejected the mining company’s significantly improved offer in the negotiation of their CBA pursuant to established laws, rules and regulations.
In a Viber message, Philex Public and Regulatory Affairs Head Francis G. Ballesteros said the company “remains focused on resolving this issue in coordination” with the DOLE. He said that Philex’s current proposal was already an improvement to existing workers’ benefits but didn’t provide details.
Last week, Philex announced its plan for a $224-million copper and gold mining project in Surigao del Norte. It will be ready for commercial use by late 2024 or early 2025, it said. And on Wednesday, shares of Philex rose 4.01% or 21 centavos to close at P5.45 apiece.
Philex is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and PLDT, Inc.
Earlier, Philex’s Padcal mine was projected to close by the end of 2022 but the same was extended up to the end of 2024 because of the stable world market prices of metals triggered by the desire of many countries to recover from the heavy impact of the ongoing Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 pandemic to the global economy.
The company’s Padcal mine had been existing over the past 63 years and was able to contribute in the overall growth and development not only of its host communities in Tuba and Itogon towns but also in the improved economic activities of the people of Benguet and Baguio City.
Philex is exerting efforts to look for other ore bodies within the vicinity of its present mine site to possible further its projected mine life which will be beneficial to the employees and its host and neighboring communities.
Philex employees themselves are already among the highest paid for the mining industry in the region and in the country, enjoying benefits such as free medical assistance, free housing, free education to dependents, free electricity and food assistance as well. The company operates the Sto. Nino Hospital, a primary hospital located inside the Padcal Mine Camp to cater to the medical needs of the employees, dependents, and host and neighboring communities.
The company was able to set the standards for responsible mining that served as one of the benchmarks for the conduct of large-scale mining operations in identified mineral-rich communities around the country over the past several decades.
Philex’s president and chief executive officer, Mr. Eulalio B. Austin, Jr., an indigenous peoples himself, was recently awarded the 2021 Outstanding Professional of the Year in the field of Mining Engineering by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) primarily because of his impressive and remarkable achievements in his profession since joining the company more than 3 decades ago aside from the fact that he rose from the ranks in his service to Philex Mining Corporation.