LAPANDAY

 WORKERS  UNION  v.  NLRC  

J.  Puno   September  7,  1995   G.R.  Nos.  95494-­‐97  
Doctrine   A  strike  is  "any  temporary  stoppage  of  work  by  the  concerted  action  of  employees  as  a  result  of  an  industrial  or  labor  
 
dispute." It  is  the  most  preeminent  of  the  economic  weapons  of  workers  which  they  unsheathe  to  force  management  
to  agree  to  an  equitable  sharing  of  the  joint  product  of  labor  and  capital.  Undeniably,  strikes  exert  some  disquieting  
effects  not  only  on  the  relationship  between  labor  and  management  but  also  on  the  general  peace  and  progress  of  
society.  Our  laws  thus  regulate  their  exercise  within  reasons  by  balancing  the  interests  of  labor  and  management  
together  with  the  overarching  public  interest.  
Some  of  the  limitations  on  the  exercise  of  the  right  of  strike  are  provided  for  in  paragraphs  (c)  and  (f)  of  Article  263  of  
the  Labor  Code,  as  amended  
Summary   Petitioner  union  struck  against  private  respondents  because  of  many  problems,  especially  the  killing  of  one  of  the  
union  members  by  a  security  guard  hired  by  respondents.  The  tribunals  and  the  Court  held  that  the  strike  was  illegal  
because  it  failed  to  comply  with  the  requirements  of  law.  
Facts   • Petitioner  union  has  a  CBA  with  private  respondents  (sister  companies),  spanning  the  period  from  December  
5,  1985  until  November  30,  1988.  A  few  months  before  the  CBA  expired,  private  respondents  initiated  certain  
management  policies  that  disrupted  the  relationship  of  the  parties:  
o First,  private  respondents  contracted  Philippine  Eagle  Protectors  and  Security  Agency,  Inc,  to  provide  
security  services  for  their  business  premises.  Petitioner  union  branded  the  security  guards  as  
“goons”  and  “special  forces”  and  accused  the  guards  of  intimidating  its  members.  
o Second,  petitioner  union  contends  that  private  respondents  seminars  on  Human  Development  and  
Industrial  Relations  (HDIR)  tagged  ANGLO  (the  organization  the  union  was  affiliated  with)  as  leftist.  
• During  a  labor-­‐management  meeting,  the  union  agreed  to  allow  its  members  to  attend  the  HDIR  seminar  for  
RNF  employees,  but  later,  it  retracted  this  decision.  Before  this,  the  Union  picketed  the  premises  of  the  Phil.  
Eagle  Protectors  to  show  their  displeasure  in  the  hiring  of  the  guards.  
• The  Union  filed  a  Notice  of  Strike  with  the  NCMB,  accusing  the  company  of  ULP  consisting  of  coercion  of  
employees,  intimidation  of  union  members,  and  union  busting.  The  NCMB  called  a  conciliation  conference  
which  yielded  the  agreement  that  the  Union  officers  will  attend  the  HDIR  seminar  and  a  committee  shall  
convene  to  establish  guidelines  governing  the  guards.  With  the  apparent  settlement  of  the  differences,  
private  respondents  notified  the  NCMB  that  there  were  no  more  bases  for  the  notice  of  strike.  
• However,  in  September  8,  1988,  Danilo  Martinez,  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Union,  was  
gunned  down  in  his  house  in  the  presence  of  his  wife  and  children.  The  gunman  was  later  identified  to  be  
Eledio  Samson,  an  alleged  member  of  the  new  security  forces  of  private  respondents.    
• As  a  result,  most  of  the  union  members  refused  to  report  for  work,  and  those  who  did  refused  to  comply  with  
the  “quota  system”  adopted  by  the  management  to  bolster  production  output.  Allegedly,  the  union  
instructed  the  workers  to  reduce  their  production  to  30%,  so  the  union  was  charged  with  economic  sabotage  
through  slowdown.  
• Private  respondents  filed  charges  against  the  union  for  illegal  strike,  ULP  and  damages,  with  prayer  for  
injunction.  After  many  futile  attempts  to  have  the  parties  reconcile,  Digong  Duterte,  then  Mayor,  intervened.  
The  dialogues,  however,  still  proved  to  be  fruitless.  
• A  strike  vote  was  conducted  among  the  union  members  which  garnered  overwhelming  support,  so  it  struck  
two  days  later.  (IMPT)  
• LA:  The  Union  staged  an  illegal  strike.  NLRC  upheld  the  LA  decision.  
o It  should  be  noted  that  before  the  promulgation  of  the  decision,  the  Union  filed  a  complaint  for  ULP  
and  illegal  suspension  against  LADECO,  which  was  granted  on  the  union’s  behalf.  Specifically,  the  
decision  considered  the  refusal  of  the  workers  to  report  for  work  justified  because  of  Danilo  
Martinez’s  killing.  Private  respondents  appealed  this  decision  claiming  that  this  was  an  error  
considering  the  legality  of  the  strike  was  already  passed  upon  by  the  Regional  Arbitration  
Branch.The  
Ratio/Issues   I. W/N  the  strike  was  legal.  
• [See  Doctrine]  Article  263(f)  of  the  Labor  Code  says  that  in  every  case,  when  there  is  a  decision  to  declare  a  
strike,  the  union  or  the  employer  shall  furnish  the  Ministry  the  results  of  the  voting  at  least  7  days  before  the  
intended  strike  or  lockout  subject  to  the  cooling-­‐off  period  herein  provided.  
• The  strike  conducted  by  the  union  was  plainly  illegal  because  it  was  held  within  the  7  days  waiting  period.  
The  haste  in  holding  the  strike  prevented  the  DOLE  from  verifying  whether  it  carried  the  approval  of  the  
majority  of  the  union  members.    
• The  decision  of  limiting  the  penalty  only  to  the  leaders  of  the  union  is  uphold.  They  cannot  claim  good  faith  
to  exculpate  themselves  because  they  admitted  knowledge  of  the  law  of  strike,  including  its  procedure.  They  
 cannot  violate  the  law  which  was  cast  to  promote  their  interest.  
Held   Petition  dismissed.  
Prepared  by:  JR  (Labor  |  Daway)