Interoffice Legal Memo

MEMORANDUM TO:

Atty. Philip John Pojas

FROM:

Arvin Antonio V. Ortiz

DATE:

0 F!"r#ary $0%&

RE:

Th! Th! '!rit !rit o( th! th! a)'in )'inis isttrati rativ! v! *o'pl o'pla aints ints (il (il!) a+ain +ainsst th! r!sp! sp!*tiv *tiv!! *o#ns!ls o( F,- ,o'pany an) F!)!ration -/ ho all!+!)ly int!r(!r!) in th! *!rti(i*ation !l!*tion

T1E 233UE3 4%.5 4%.5

2s !6!rt !6!rtin+ in+ in(l in(l#!n #!n*! *! #pon #pon th! th! !'ploy !'ploy!!s !!s to to vot! vot! (or F!)! F!)!rat ration ion -/ -/ 4-/ 4-/

(or "r!vity5 ov!r th! A*tivist Union 4AU (or "r!vity5 )#rin+ th! *!rti(i*ation !l!*tion 4,E5 an int!r(!r!n*! that a'o#nts to Un(air 7a"or Pra*ti*! 4U7P5 "y th! !'ploy!r8 4$.5 4$.5

2( n#'" n#'"!r !r on! on! is in th! th! a((i a((ir' r'at ativ iv!9 !9 'ay 'ay a lay lay!r !r ho ho inst instr# r#*t *t!) !) th! th!

s#p!rvisors o( th! F,- to in(l#!n*! th! !'ploy!!s to vot! (or -/ "! a)'inistrativ!ly  lia"l!8 4.5 4.5

2( n#'"! n#'"!rr to to is in th! th! a((ir' a((ir'ati ativ!9 v!9 ho ho "!t "!t!!n !!n th! th! *o#ns *o#ns!l !lss o( F,F,- an)

-/ is a)'inistrativ!ly a)'inistrativ!ly lia"l!8 ;R2EF AN3or+anization9 ar! ini'i*al to th! l!+iti'at! int!r!st o( "oth la"or an) 'ana+!'!nt9 in*l#)in+ th!ir ri+ht to "ar+ain *oll!*tiv!ly an) oth!ris! )!al ith !a*h oth!r in an at'osph!r! o( (r!!)o' an) '#t#al r!sp!*t9 )isr#pt in)#strial p!a*! an) hin)!r th! pro'otion o( h!althy an) sta"l! la"or>'ana+!'!nt r!lations.

To *o''it a U7P9 th! (olloin+ !l!'!nts '#st "! pr!s!nt: %.5 Th!r! is !'ploy!r>!'ploy!! r!lationship "!t!!n th! o((!n)!r an) th! o((!n)!) an) $.5 Th! a*t )on! is !6pr!ssly )!(in!) in th! ,o)! as an a*t o( #n(air la"or pra*ti*!.  All th! !l!'!nts ar! pr!s!nt h!r!. Th!r! is an !'ploy!r>!'ploy!! r!lationship  "!t!!n F,- an) th! ran=>an)>(il! !'ploy!!s ho a((iliat!) ith AU. Th! a*t o(  int!r(!r!n*! is also sp!*i(i*ally '!ntion!) in th! 7a"or ,o)! as a U7P. Arti*l! $B o( th! 7a"or ,o)! provi)!s:  Article 248. Unfair labor practices of employers.  2t shall "! #nla(#l (or an !'ploy!r to *o''it any o( th! (olloin+ #n(air la"or pra*ti*!s:

4a5 To int!r(!r! ith9 r!strain9 or *o!r*! !'ploy!!s in th! !6!r*is! o( th!ir ri+ht to s!l(>or+anization

666 7on+>stan)in+ is th! r#l! that G th! *hoi*! o( a *oll!*tiv! "ar+ainin+ a+!nt is th! sol! *on*!rn o( th! !'ploy!!s. Th! only !6*!ption to this r#l! is h!r! th! !'ploy!r has to (il! th! p!tition (or *!rti(i*ation !l!*tion p#rs#ant to Arti*l! $& o( th! 7a"or ,o)! "!*a#s! it as r!?#!st!) to "ar+ain *oll!*tiv!ly9 hi*h !6*!ption (in)s no appli*ation h!r!. 2ts rol! in a *!rti(i*ation !l!*tion has aptly "!!n )!s*ri"!) in Trade Unions of the Philippines and Allied   Services (TUPAS) v. Trajano9 as that o( a '!r! "ystan)!r. 2t has no l!+al stan)in+ in a *!rti(i*ation !l!*tion as it *annot oppos! th! p!tition or app!al th! M!)>Ar"it!rHs or)!rs r!lat!) th!r!to.I% This prin*ipl! has not "!!n )ist#r"!) nor ov!rt#rn!) in s#"s!?#!nt *as!s.

2n anoth!r *as!9 th! 3#pr!'! ,o#rt sai)9 GOn a 'att!r that sho#l) "! th! !6*l#siv! *on*!rn o( la"or9 th! *hoi*! o( a *oll!*tiv! "ar+ainin+ r!pr!s!ntativ!9 th! !'ploy!r is )!(init!ly an intr#)!r. 1is parti*ipation9 to say th! l!ast9 )!s!rv!s no !n*o#ra+!'!nt. This ,o#rt sho#l) "! th! last a+!n*y to l!n) s#pport to s#*h an att!'pt at int!r(!r!n*! ith a p#r!ly int!rnal a((air o( la"or.I $ D#rin+ th! *!rti(i*ation !l!*tion9 *o#ns!l o( F,- instr#*t!) th! s#p!rvisors o( th! *o'pany to in(l#!n*! th! ran=>an)>(il! !'ploy!!s ho !r! a"o#t to *ast th!ir vot!s to *hoos! -/ ov!r AU. O"vio#sly9 th! r!ason "!hin) this 'ov! is that F,- ha) ha) an a'i*a"l! r!lationship ith -/ sin*! 'ost o( th! ,;A int!rpr!tation iss#!s an) !'ploy!! t!r'ination *as!s that aros! )#rin+ its t!r' h!r! r!solv!) to th! parti!s@ '#t#al satis(a*tion.

1

San Miguel Foods, Inc.-Cebu B-Meg Feed Plant v. Laguesma , G.R. No. 116172, 10 October 1996, 263 SCRA 68, 81-82. This was reiterate i! Laguna Autoparts Manufacturing Corporation v. !ce of t"e Secretar#, $epartment of Labor and %mplo#ment , G.R. No. 1"71#6, 29 A$ri% 200", #"7 SCRA 730, 7#2. 2 Consolidated Farms, Inc. vs. &oriel , &-#77"2, '(%) 31, 1978, 8# SCRA #69, #73.

 an)>(il! !'ploy!!s o( a "ar+ainin+ r!pr!s!ntativ! in th!ir n!+otiations ith th!ir !'ploy!r. 2n this *as!9 th!r! is littl! proo( that th! lay!r o( -/ *oll#)!) ith F,-@s *o#ns!l. For *onspira*y to li!9 it '#st not only "! all!+!)9 "#t it '#st also "! prov!n  ith *l!ar an) *onvin*in+ !vi)!n*!. 2n a *ri'inal *as!. th! 3#pr!'! ,o#rt sai) o(  *onspira*y: Th!r! is *onspira*y Gh!n to or 'or! p!rsons *o'! to an a+r!!'!nt *on*!rnin+ th! *o''ission o( a (!lony an) )!*i)! to *o''it it.I ,onspira*y is not pr!s#'!). 7i=! th! physi*al a*ts *onstit#tin+ th! *ri'! its!l(9 th! !l!'!nts o( *onspira*y 

'#st "! prov!n "!yon) r!asona"l! )o#"t. *onspirators "y "!in+ pr!s!nt at th! *o''ission o(  th! *ri'! or "y !6!rtin+ 'oral as*!n)an*y ov!r th! oth!r *o>*onspirators. 1!n*!9 th! '!r! pr!s!n*! o( an a**#s!) at th! )is*#ssion o( a *onspira*y9 !v!n approval o( it9 itho#t any a*tiv! parti*ipation in th! sa'!9 is not !no#+h (or p#rpos!s o( *onvi*tion. 

Th!r! is v!ry littl! !vi)!n*! to *on*l#)! that -/@s lay!r *oll#)!) ith F,-@s lay!r. Tr#! "oth lay!rs ar! +oo) (ri!n)s. Tr#! as !ll that "oth oppos!) th! )isa((iliation o( th! ran=>an)>(il! !'ploy!!s (ro' -/ an) th!ir a((iliation ith AU. 2t )o!s not (ollo9 ho!v!r9 that th!r! is alr!a)y a *onspira*y "!t!!n th! to lay!rs. For (ail#r! to sho a *l!ar an) *onvin*in+ proo( that -/@s lay!r *oll#)!) ith F,-@s lay!r9 th! latt!r '#st "! !6*#lpat!) (ro' th! a)'inistrativ! *har+! a+ainst hi'. To s#''ariz!9 th! )is*#ssion a"ov! l!a)s to th! (olloin+ *on*l#sions: 4%.5

2n(l#!n*in+ th! ran=>an)>(il! !'ploy!!s to vot! (or -/ ov!r AU )#rin+

th! *!rti(i*ation !l!*tion is an #n(air la"or pra*ti*! o( F,-9 an) th#s violat!s th! !'ploy!!s@ ri+ht to s!l(>or+anization as it (r#strat!s th!ir (r!! *hoi*! o( "ar+ainin+ r!pr!s!ntativ! in th!ir n!+otiations ith F,- 4$.5

F,-@s lay!r violat!s th! la h!n h! a)vis!) th! s#p!rvisors o( F,- to

*o''it an #n(air la"or pra*ti*! "y instr#*tin+ th! s#p!rvisors o( F,- to in(l#!n*! th! ran=>an)>(il! !'ploy!!s to vot! (or -/ ov!r AU9 hi*h 'a=!s F,-@s lay!r s#"j!*t (or a)'inistrativ! lia"ility an)

6

Ba"ilidad v. People, G.R. No. 18"19", arch 17, 2010, 61" SCRA "97, 60#.

4.5

Only F,-@s lay!r 'ay "! h!l) a)'inistrativ!ly lia"l! sin*! th!r! is v!ry  littl! !vi)!n*! to sho that -/@s lay!r *oll#)!) ith F,-@s lay!r in in(l#!n*in+ th! ran=>an)>(il! !'ploy!!s to vot! (or -/ ov!r AU.