CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Members of the Arbitration Committee of the Ministry of Labor and Employment underwent a 2-day Capacity Building on the Rules and Procedures of Arbitration Proceedings on Feb. 20-21, at the Seda Centrio, in this city.
The training organized by the Bureau of Labor Relations and Standards allows the ArbCom to become operationalized.
Under the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 13 known as the Bangsamoro Administrative Code, the ArbCom is vested with a function to “decide on issues relating to labor disputes which cannot be resolved during the conduct of mediation and conciliation process.”
BLRS Director Hatta T. Jumdain who will chair the committee assured that ArbCom will be fair and impartial in deciding labor disputes.
Providing fair and expeditious labor dispute settlement is one of the primary functions of the Ministry to maintain harmony between the employers and employees from the private sector in the Bangsamoro region.
“We play a vital role in prospering industrial peace towards our community,” Executive Labor Arbiter Atty. Abdul-aziz Metmug said.
“We protect not only the workers, but as well as employers by convincing them through conciliation and mediation,” Metmug added.
Metmug is the Executive Labor Arbiter of the National Labor Relations Commission-Regional Arbitration Branch X in Cagayan de Oro City.
Metmug , who facilitated the training, has expressed his commitment to provide the Ministry the necessary assistance to address unresolved labor disputes in the region.
“I am looking forward to how you finalize your rules on the arbitration committee and I suggest that you enumerate or define the cases which were not resolved by the conciliation-mediation in order to be recognized by the arbitration committee”, Metmug emphasized.
“After all, it was stated in the Administrative Code of MOLE which says that MOLE has the power to promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to the enforcement and implementation of the labor code,” Metmug added.
On the proposed Bangsamoro Labor Code, Metmug hoped for the passage of the bill in the parliament.
“Our arms do not have the strength to act, and I am hoping that the parliament will probably approve the above-said proposal,” he said.
Meanwhile, Atty. Datu Harris Pinguiaman, Legal Officer V (MOLE-LLD), commended the BLRS for organizing the training as well as the NLRC-RAB X Arbiter, Atty. Metmug for facilitating it.
“Thank you, Judge [Labor Arbiter] Metmug for imparting your wide knowledge and expertise as the Executive Labor Arbiter and for shedding light on our legal queries about arbitration and writing decisions in labor cases,” Pinguiaman said.
“This training will surely help, Inshaa Allah, in operationalizing the MOLE arbitration committee which is indispensable in promoting social justice, and industrial peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region,” Pinguiaman stressed.
“It is also necessary to afford full protection to labor and promote the rights and welfare of the Bangsamoro Labor Force and Management,” he added.
Further, the ArbCom rules and procedures will take effect after 15 days of publication through an issuance of ministry order by MOLE. (MOLE-ICD)