CSC registers 40 gov't employee unions, accredits 48 more
A total of 40 public sector unions registered in 2007, bringing to 1,599 the number of registered government employee unions. This was disclosed recently by Acting Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Cesar D. Buenaflor.
Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, government employees are granted the right to self-organize, or to form, join and assist unions, for the advancement and protection of its members' interests.
Registered public sector unions are given the chance to acquire legal personality, thus entitling them to the rights and privileges under Executive Order No. 180, which provides the guidelines for the exercise of the right to organize among state employees.
On the other hand, accredited unions reached 674 in 2007 as 48 unions were accredited last year.
Union accreditation grants a registered union the status of being the sole and exclusive representative of employees during collective negotiations with the management.
"Public sector unions play a pivotal role in creating a harmonious environment in the workplace," Buenaflor said, adding that, "Government employee unions help promote transparency and accountability in government by taking part in the crafting, implementation and monitoring of policies and by serving as ‘watchdogs' to help curb graft and corruption in agencies."
Requirements for union registration include a statement containing the individual names and addresses of the officers, principal address of the union and total number of rank-and-file employees in the organizational unit; minutes and attendance of the organizational meeting; financial report/s if the applicant union has been in existence for at least a year; the applicant's constitution and by-laws; minutes of the adoption and list of members who participated therein; and P140.00 registration fee. Applications must be signed by at least 30% of the rank-and-file employees in the organizational unit, verified under oath by its secretary or treasurer and attested to by its president.
Registered unions may later on apply for accreditation by submitting a sworn petition asserting that the petitioner is a duly registered employees' organization and that the employees included in the petition constitute the majority of the total number of rank-and-file employees in the negotiating unit. This is submitted together with a certification signed by the President and the Board of Directors/Officers of the employees' organization attesting to the accuracy and authenticity of the names and signatures of employees appearing in the petition; latest approved payroll duly signed/certified by authorized officials of the organizational unit where such employees' organizations belong, regardless of whether employees' salaries are drawn from the agency's Cashier or through the Automated Teller Machine; certification from the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) that the employees' organization seeking accreditation is the sole registered employees' organization and the only one seeking registration in the negotiating unit; certification from the Human Resource Management Officer or Administrative Officer as to the total number of rank-and-file employees in the agency; and P150.00 accreditation fee.
A complete statistical data of registered and accredited unions organized by sector and by region from 1987 to 2007 may be accessed at www.csc.gov.ph.