Title
Ilaw at Buklod ng Manggagawa vs. National Labor Relations Commission
Case
G.R. No. 81852-53
Decision Date
Mar 5, 1993
Union members protested a 10% deduction from CBA benefits and were expelled; courts ruled jurisdiction over intra-union disputes lies with labor relations bodies, not NLRC.

Case Summary (G.R. No. 81852-53)

Relevant Procedural History

A petition for certiorari was filed to annul several orders and decisions, including the February 4, 1987 order by Labor Arbiter Manuel P. Asuncion, the May 29, 1987 decision by the same Arbiter, and the resolutions issued by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) on October 12, 1987, and January 11, 1988. The case emerged from a memorandum of agreement signed on December 3, 1986, concerning the ratification of the CBA by union members on December 7, 1986.

Facts of the Case

At the general meeting of December 7, 1986, a resolution was passed to approve the CBA, which included a provision for a special assessment of P1,098.00 from each union member's CBA differential pay. Despite the majority vote in favor, private respondents protested this deduction and refused to authorize it. Consequently, they were expelled from the union via a resolution on January 6, 1987, leading to complaints filed by the private respondents against IBM and SMC for illegal deductions and wrongful expulsion.

Jurisdictional Issues and Labor Code Provisions

The petitioner contested the jurisdiction of the NLRC over the complaints filed by the private respondents. Jurisdiction over the subject matter is defined by law and is primarily determined by the allegations presented in the complaint. The complaints concerned not just the assessment and deductions but also the private respondents' rights as union members, thereby categorizing them as intra-union disputes.

According to Article 226 of the Labor Code, the Bureau of Labor Relations has jurisdiction over intra-union disputes, which encompasses conflicts arising from any violation of union by-laws or members' rights, excluding cases directly related to collective bargaining agreements that undergo grievance procedures or arbitration.

Conclusion of the Labor Arbiter and NLRC Decisions

The Labor Arbiter ruled against the petitioner's assessments and expulsion

...continue reading

Analyze Cases Smarter, Faster
Jur is a legal research platform serving the Philippines with case digests and jurisprudence resources.