MIRIAM BATS FOR REGIONAL LABOR COURTS

Just before Labor Day, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago filed Senate Bill No. 2207 to abolish the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and instead create regional Courts of Labor Relations

“With courts in every region, the workers are assured of their constitutional right to speedy disposition of their complaints, and the employers will be spared long and costly litigation,” she said.

As of June of last year, the NLRC had a backlog of 7,736 cases—5,000 more than the preceding year.

The senator points out that the delay is due to a number of reasons. The first reason for delay is that of the 155 incumbent labor arbiters, 53 are assigned as “reviewers” in the Office of the Commissioners.

This leaves half of the labor arbiters to hear and resolve the average 31,000 cases filed per year in the arbitration branches.

Santiago said another cause for the delay in the disposition of labor cases was the Supreme Court decision in St. Martin Funeral Home v. NLRC where the Court allowed the Court of Appeals to review the decisions of the NLRC, adding another appellate body to review the decisions of the labor arbiters.

“In effect, the gestation period of labor cases was drastically increased, raising the frustration of both the workers and employers,” the senator said.

Santiago said that the slow disposition of labor disputes in the country produces a negative and crippling effect on our economy.

“One of the causes for the reluctance of foreign investors to come here is Philippine labor unrest. It is one of the causes for the pullout of businesses which relocated to other Asian countries,” she said.

To shorten the period of labor dispute resolution while complying with the Supreme Court’s ruling in the St. Martin case, Santiago proposes the establishment of regional Courts of Labor Relations, whose decisions and final orders will be directly appealable to the Court of Appeals. Under S.B. No. 2207, labor arbiters will be appointed judges of the Regional Court of Labor Relations, performing their functions under the disciplinary supervision of the Supreme Court.

The bill also aims to remove the exemption of labor cases from the Alternative Dispute Resolution Law, further shortening the resolution of labor disputes.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. This bill seeks to effectuate the constitutional right to a speedy trial, specially for our labor sector,” Santiago said.

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