A loose group calling itself concerned faculty and employees of PMI Colleges-Bohol has come up with an open letter disowning any support and connection of union members who are on strike at the school campus until yesterday. The union has been on strike officially last Wednesday although the protest action was preceded with what it called as “lunch break rally”. According to the Open Letter which came in the form of a one page advertisement, the faculty and employees extended their apology to the conduct of their colleagues who are misguided and motivated by mistaken ideas that caused serious damage and impairment to the ideals of educating the youth and preparing them to be future leaders of the country. They said as academicians, it is always their thrust to mold the fresh minds of their students to be responsible citizens of the society. They added that there is nothing wrong to assert what is right but to struggle a senseless and irrational cause to the detriment of the students and the public in general is none of their business. Further, they firmly believed that mutual understanding and respect with the PMI management are essential elements to pursue with the principle and vocation of educating the youth.

Some 71 faculty and employees of PMI Colleges-Bohol affixed their signature to the open letter.

The letter followed after the failed attempts of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) to intervene between the labor dispute of the Philippine Marine Institute Faculty and Employees Union (PMIFEU) and its management led by Ms. Rizabel Cloma-Santos causing the union to strike last Wednesday. A Notice of Strike, filed last January 16, 2013 was the aftermath arising from the dismissal of union officers Alberto Porlacin, president; Joseph Nelson Sarabia, PRO; Violeta Dano, treasurer; Nelson Estano, auditor; Artemio Tambis, Victorino Cabalit and Joel Langcamon, members, Board of Directors. They received their Notice of termination last January 15,2013, which according to them, without any clear basis. According to the striking workers made up mostly of the school’s professors, their demands over the years were unheard of on top of several harassments made by management. The strikers also cried foul about overloaded work among teachers, refusal to formally give faculty mid-year benefits and unimplemented incremental proceeds of the 70 percent tuition fee hike.

REACTION

Sought for their reaction, one of the strikers, Dr. Dano, said “we do not entertain mga ingun-ana (open letter). It will not solve the problem. It only makes the problem worse.” “They are trying to divert the issue. If they are sincere resolving the problem, this can be prevented. Ang amo rang gipangayo is mukanaog sila. Ang root cause ra sa problema kay kana ra mang pagdumili nila nga makig-atubang. That’s it!” she insisted. “Angay gyud kaayo sila mangayog pasaylo tungod kay sila ang naghimo niining problemaha. Ang ilang pagdumili sa pag-atubang namo usa na ka manifestation, nga they don’t like the problem to be resolve.” she added. The termination of seven teachers provoked the PMIFEU members to go on strike against the administration. The teachers accused the management of union busting. Affected by the strike, the Supreme Student Government (SSG) submitted a manifesto declaring its democratic rights which aimed to resolve the conflict between the PMI administration and the Faculty Employees Union who have both lost their capacity to listen and value the sentiments of the students. The SSG organized a general assembly for both parties which both agreed to come only to find out that the management cancelled their appointment on the day of the assembly. According to the strikers, the protest action will go on until the management will compromise with the union members. The members wished to come up with a peaceful resolution with the management to end the issue.

UNION BUSTING

Meanwhile, the Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned Friday the management of PMI Colleges-Bohol for busting the workers’ union in the school by terminating the union’s officials. The PMI union is affiliated with KMU. Last Jan. 15, six union officers of the PMI Faculty and Employees Union, an affiliate of the National Federation of Labor Unions-KMU, were terminated from work without a clear basis, prompting the union to launch a strike last Wednesday. The termination came after years of legal battles and employees’ protests over the school management’s non-implementation of incremental proceeds of 70 per cent of the tuition fee increase, refusal to grant faculty development fund and mid-year benefits, uneven distribution of workload among teaching employees, refusal to implement the grievance procedure and ranking of employees, and harassment. “The employees of PMI-Bohol Colleges have every reason to hold a strike. The PMI management under the leadership of Ms. Cloma-Santos is clearly busting the union in an attempt to stop the employees from fighting for their just demands,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson. “The PMI management, in collusion with the government, has for years refused to grant what’s due to its employees. It is now stepping up its attacks. We are calling on workers and the public to support the PMI faculty and employees,” he added. (With reports from Dulce Brenda Salera, Karen Joy Ladesma, Linford Christie Bayron, Larah De Jesus, Lady Fatima Sarabia and Maritess Quinlog]