The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) conducted its 4th thematic workshop last 20-21 November 2019 at the Holiday Inn and Suites, Makati City. The activity was organized under the project entitled “Strengthening Bipartite Relations at the National and Enterprise Levels in the Philippines” which is implemented in partnership with the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI). Mr. Neils Gron-Seirup, Director for Industrial Relations and Labor Law of DI, served as the facilitator for the workshop.
The workshop provided the participants with wider knowledge insofar as the negotiation process and collective bargaining agreements are concerned. After the sharing session regarding their experiences from previous trainings, they were given mini-tasks which sought to promote their ability to communicate and come into terms with one another. During the activities, the idea that both parties should be open to alternative options was emphasized by the facilitator. It is an undeniable fact that when both parties are willing to enter into a compromise without the other party while still being able to protect their primary interest is the way to a fruitful negotiation.
The culminating activity for the participants was to enter into a negotiation wherein the management and the labor union should be able to discuss the issues at hand within the given time frame. As a result, participants improved their negotiating skills and were able to arrive at an agreement on the concerns presented.
Participants in the workshop were from the management and the labor unions of the following companies: Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), De La Salle Medical Health Sciences Institute (DLSMHSI), Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation (FEU-NRMF), Maxicare Healthcare Corporatin (MAXICARE), and Valley Golf and Country Club, Inc (VGCCI). Also present in the workshop were the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), and Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO).
