Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9347)
The NLRC is composed of a Chairman and twenty-three (23) members: eight (8) members nominated by workers' organizations, eight (8) by employers' organizations, and seven (7) from the public sector, preferably among incumbent labor arbiters.
The Chairman serves as the Presiding Commissioner of the first division and has exclusive administrative supervision over the NLRC and its regional branches. The Chairman oversees the overall functioning of the commission.
The NLRC has eight (8) divisions; the first six handle cases from the National Capital Region and Luzon, while the seventh and eighth handle cases from Visayas and Mindanao respectively. Each division has exclusive appellate jurisdiction over cases within its territorial area.
They must be members of the Philippine Bar with at least fifteen (15) years of law practice in the Philippines, and at least five (5) years of experience or exposure in labor-management relations.
Labor Arbiters must be members of the Philippine Bar with at least ten (10) years of law practice, and at least five (5) years of experience or exposure in labor-management relations.
They hold office during good behavior until age sixty-five (65), unless removed for cause or incapacitation. The President may extend their service up to age seventy (70) upon recommendation of the Commission en banc.
The first six divisions have their main offices in Metropolitan Manila, while the seventh and eighth divisions are in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro respectively.
Labor Arbiters are appointed preferably to arbitration branches in the region where they reside and are subject to the Civil Service Law, rules, and regulations.
The Chairman and Commissioners receive salaries and benefits equivalent to Presiding and Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals, while Labor Arbiters receive salaries and benefits equivalent to Judges of the Regional Trial Courts.
A division's conclusion on a case is reached after consultation among the members before assigning one to write the opinion. Two Commissioners' concurrence is necessary for pronouncement of judgment or resolution.