TUBA, Benguet – The Philex Mining corporation and the Philex Mines Supervisory Employees Union (PMSEU) recently signed the additional economic package for the last two years of its 5-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that was signed by the parties way back in 2021.
Under the new economic provisions of the updated CBA, the 460-strong PMSU will be receiving additional compensation of P1,100 each as increase in their monthly salaries for 2023 and another P1,200 each as another wave of increase in their monthly salaries for 2024 up to April of 2025 which will be the expiration of the 5-year CBA.
Further, each of the company’s supervisors will be receiving a one-time signing bonus of P2,500 as agreed upon by both parties.
Philex was ably represented by president and chief executive officer Engr. Eulalio B. Austin, Jr. and vice president for operations and resident manager Engr. Ricardo Dolipas II while the PMSEU was represented by its president Dominador C. Sotelo and vice president Alex P. Cardinez.
In his message, Austin rallied the company’s middle managers to inculcate into the minds of the millennial workers the work attitude of Philex that allowed it to thrive for over six decades and become one of the country’s largest producer of gold and copper.
He pointed out that the company must strive to improve its production to be able to sustain ongoing efforts of further extending its mine life beyond 2027 as earlier projected.
The Philex official expressed his gratitude to the negotiating teams from both parties for being able to strike a balance between the need to increase the salaries of middle managers and the company’s current status, especially that it has a projected mine life of 2027 and that it is time to move on.
On the other hand, Sotelo said that the agreed new economic package of the CBA is a ‘win-win’ solution that will allow the sustained working relationship between the company and the workforce.
PMSEU officers remain optimistic on the potentials of further extending the company’s mine file for the sake of the young ones who will be left behind so that there will be no displacements that will transpire once the company will reach the end of mine life as earlier projected.
Philex and PMSEU took some seven sessions before being able to reach an agreement on the content of the CBA’s new economic package that will be implemented on the last two years of the CBA.
Austin was one of the founding members of the PMSEU that was organized purposely to negotiate with management for the salaries and wages of the company’s middle managers serving as a major part of the company’s sustainable and productive operations.
Philex had been existing as a corporation over the past 68 years but it was only able to operate as a mining company for 65 years and counting amidst the projected end of mine life by 2027. By Dexter A. See
