LABOR MANAGEMENT

RELATIONS
 The Labor Movement
The Philippine labor movement is a social movement of workers and
farmers led by middle class illustrados and socialist intellectuals. The
labor movement is composed of labor organizations like trade unions,
farmers’ associations, cooperatives, and other sectoral and people’s
organizations often called non-government organizations (NGOs). The
trade union movement, while comprising only about 10% of the labor
force, is the most organized and active component of the labor
movement. The leaders of the trade union movement together with the
intelligentsia form the middle class and the revolutionary intellectuals
(communists, socialists, nationalists, etc.) are the traditional leaders of
the labor movement.
 Employer’s Organization
• The Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), established in
September 1975, united employers and their organizations, safeguards and
enhances employers’ interest in labor-management relations
Worker’s Organization
• Some 600 national trade unions, industrial federations and plant-level unions
from private and public sectors are registered in the Philippines, although they
represent less than 10 percent of the 38.8 million-strong workforce. Among
these are the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU),
Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), and the
Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP). Their primary concerns
include decent work for job seekers and job preservation for the employed.
 A Background on the Early Philippine Labor Movement

The Early Beginnings 

Don Isabelo de los Reyes, the father of Philippine Labor Movement, unified the
movement in 1902 under the first labor federation, the Union Obrera Democratica
(UOD) despite the continuing repression under the American colonial regime.
Growth of Communism
• By 1930s, the social labor movement was firmly established with the
Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP) of Crisanto Evangelista of
UOD and the Socialist Party of the Philippines (SPP) of Pedro Abad
Santos, a Katipunero illustrado leader captured by the Americans.
• The PKP and SPP merged during the war against the Japanese under
the leaderships of Vicente Lava and Pedro Abad Santos and resurfaced
later as the Congress of Labor Organizations (CLO) after the war led
by Amado V. Hernandez, Guillermo Capadocia and Mariano Balgos.
The Post-War Era
• The post-war era in 1953 featured communist repression and the period of collective
bargaining. After the disbandment of CLO and the arrests of their leaders, non-communist
labor organizations were organized under the Industrial Peace Act. 
• Among these new federations were the Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions
(PAFLU) of Cipriano Cid, Federation of Free Workers of Juan Tan, National
Confederation of Trade Unions, (NCFTU), and the Philippines Trade Union Councils
(PTUC)
• There was a resurgence of the communist underground movement with the establishment
of a new Communist Party of the Philippines in the 70s under Jose Ma. Sison
• This led to the declaration of Martial Law in 1972 and later, the enactment of the Labor
Code of the Philippines in 1974.
• The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) became the labor center to
represent labor in the tripartite system of labor relations in the country under the period of
labor repression.
• Outside of TUCP however, Kilusang Mayo Uno (May 1 movement) was organized in
1980 by Felixberto Olalia, Cipriano Malonzo and Crispin Beltran
Post Martial Law Period
• In 1986, during the post-martial law period, more progressive groups
within TUCP joined a new labor center initiated by the Aquino
administration called the Labor Advisory Consultative Council
(LACC) which included the KMU
• KMU later established itself as a labor center in 1998
• On record, there are 164 federations and six labor centers at present.
Present Facts on Trade Unions 
• 3.6 million workers are members of union
• Members account only for 10-12% of the labor force
• 76.6% or unionized workers are in Metro Manila
• 78% of unionized workers are federated
• 88-90% of workers are not union members
Definitions of Terms
 Rights of a Legitimate Labor Organization

What are the rights of legitimate labor organizations?

A legitimate labor organization shall have the following rights:
• to act as a representative of its members for collective bargaining;
• to be certified as the exclusive representative of all the employees in an appropriate collective
bargaining unit for collective bargaining;
• to be furnished by the employer, upon written request, with annual audited financial statements
within 30 calendar days from date of receipt of the request, or within 60 calendar days before
the expiration of the existing CBA, or during the collective bargaining negotiation;
• to own property, real of personal, for the use and benefit of the labor organization and its
members; and
• to sue and be sued in its registered name; and
•  to undertake all other activities to benefit the organization and its members, including
cooperative, housing, welfare and other projects not contrary to law
 Unfair Labor Practices of Employers
(Practices Prohibited by Law)
• Art. 248. Unfair labor practices of employers. It shall be unlawful for
an employer to commit any of the following unfair labor practice:
• To interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their right to self-
organization;  

• To require as a condition of employment that a person or an employee shall not join a

labor organization or shall withdraw from one to which he belongs;
• To contract out services or functions being performed by union members when such will
interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights to self-
organization;
• To initiate, dominate, assist or otherwise interfere with the formation or administration of
any labor organization, including the giving of financial or other support to it or its
organizers or supporters;
• To discriminate in regard to wages, hours of work and other terms and
conditions of employment in order to encourage or discourage membership
in any labor organization.
• Nothing in this Code or in any other law shall stop the parties from requiring
membership in a recognized collective bargaining agent as a condition for
employment, except those employees who are already members of another
union at the time of the signing of the collective bargaining agreement.
• To dismiss, discharge or otherwise prejudice or discriminate against an
employee for having given or being about to give testimony under this
Code;
• To violate the duty to bargain collectively as prescribed by this Code;
• To pay negotiation or attorney’s fees to the union or its officers or agents as
part of the settlement of any issue in collective bargaining or any other
dispute; or
• To violate a collective bargaining agreement.
 Contents of the Contract Agreement

• Recognition and Union Security

• Management Rights
• Grievance Procedure
• Arbitration Of Grievance
• Disciplinary Procedure Compensation and Benefits Provisions
• Hours of work
• Lay-Off Procedure
• Health and Safety Provisions
• Employee Security and Seniority
• Contract Expiration Date