Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR)

The Bureau of Labor Relations (BLR) of the Department of Labor and Employment is a registry of unions and CBAs
(collective bargaining agreements) that formulates regulatory and developmental policies, standards, guidelines and
programs on the promotion of the right to organize, including an improvement of the incomes of workers and their
organizations. BLR is the lead agency in workers and employers education which provides workers and employers, either
organized or unorganized, with updated information on their rights, obligations, and benefits using various forms of
information and communication. The Bureau also adjudicates inter- and intra-union disputes, as well as the promotion of
bipartism and tripartism.

National Conciliation and Mediation Board

(NCMB)

Mandate

The NCMB, created under Executive Order No. 126, reorganizing the DOLE, shall formulate policies, develop plans
and programs and set standards and procedures relative to the promotion of conciliation and mediation of labor
disputes through the preventive mediation, conciliation and voluntary arbitration; facilitation of labor-management
cooperation through joint mechanisms for information sharing, effective communication and consultation and group-
problem solving.

Vision

The NCMB shall be the center of excellence in enhancing harmonious relationship in every workplace.

Mission

To sustain harmonious labor and management relations through continuous education, mainstreaming of alternative
dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, and implementation of innovative approaches towards worker’s
empowerment.

Functions

The NCMB, as a staff and line office, has the following functions:

 Formulate policies, programs, standards, procedures, manuals of operations and guidelines pertaining to effective
mediation and conciliation of all labor dispute.
 Perform preventive mediation and conciliation functions.
 Coordinate and maintain linkages with other sectors of institutions, and other government authorities concerned with
matters relative to the prevention and settlement of labor disputes.
 Formulates policies, plans, programs, standards, procedures, manuals of operations and guidelines pertaining to the
promotion of cooperative and non-adversarial schemes, grievance handling, voluntary arbitration and other voluntary
modes of dispute settlement.
 Administer the voluntary arbitration program; maintain/update a list of voluntary arbitrators, compile arbitration awards
and decisions.
 Provide counseling and preventive mediation assistance particularly in the administration of collective agreements
 Monitor and exercise technical supervision over the Board’s programs being implemented in the regional offices; and
 Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by the Secretary.
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 251 July 25, 1987

AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 126 DATED JANUARY 30, 1987

Sec. 4. Section 22 of Executive Order No. 126 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 22. National Conciliation and Mediation Board. A National Conciliation and Mediation Board,
herein referred to as the "Board", is hereby created and which shall absorb the conciliation mediation
and voluntary arbitration functions of the Bureau of Labor of Relations in accordance with Section 29
(c) hereof. The Board shall be composed of an Administrator and two (2) Deputy Administrators. It
shall be an attached agency under the administrative supervision of the Secretary of Labor and
Employment.

The Administrators and the Deputy Administrators shall be appointed by the President upon
recommendation of the Secretary of Labor and Employment. There shall be as many Conciliators-
Mediators as the needs of the public service require, who shall have at least three (3) years of
experience in handling labor relations and who shall be appointed by the Secretary.

The Board shall have its main office in Metropolitan Manila and its Administrators shall exercise
supervision over Conciliators-Mediators and all its personnel. It shall establish as many branches as
there are administrative regions in the country, with a many Conciliator-mediators as shall be
necessary for its effective operation. Each branch of the Board shall be headed by an Executive
Conciliator-Mediator.

The Board shall have the following functions:

(a) Formulate policies, programs, standards, procedures, manuals of operation and guidelines
pertaining to effective mediation and conciliation of labor disputes;

(b) Perform preventive mediation and conciliation functions;

(c) Coordinate and maintain linkages with other sectors of institutions, and other government
authorities concerned with matters relative to the prevention and settlement of labor disputes;

(d) formulate policies, plans, programs, standards, procedures, manuals of operation and
guidelines pertaining to the promotion of cooperative and non-adversarial schemes, grievance
handling, voluntary arbitration and other voluntary modes of dispute settlements;

(e) Administer the voluntary arbitration program; maintain/update a list of voluntary

arbitrations; compile arbitration awards and decisions;

(f) Provide counselling and preventive mediation assistance particularly in the administration
of collective agreement; awards and decisions;

(g) Monitor and exercise technical supervision over the Board programs being implemented in
the regional offices; and

(h) Perform such other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by the Secretary.

A Tripartite Voluntary Arbitration Advisory Council is hereby created and attached to the National
Conciliation and Mediation Board. The Tripartite Voluntary Arbitration Advisory Council shall advise the
 National Conciliation Board on matters pertaining to the promotion of voluntary arbitration as the
preferred mode of dispute settlement.

The Tripartite Voluntary Arbitration Advisory Council shall consist of the Administrator of the National
Conciliation and Mediation Board as Chairman, one other member from the government, two members
representing labor, and two other members representing management. The members shall be
appointed by the President to serve for a term of three (3) years. The Chairman and Members thereof
shall serve without compensation."

National Labor Relations Commission

(Philippines)

The National Labor Relations Commission (Filipino: Pambansang Komisyon sa Ugnayang

Paggawa, abbreviated NLRC) is a commission organized by the Philippine government to resolve,
investigate and settle disputes between employees and employers. The NLRC is a subsequent part
of the Department of Labor and Employment where its policies and programs[1] are coordinated. The
commission dates back to the commonwealth period, when the contract labor law act was passed in
the United States Congress on January 23, 1885, it was then implemented in the Philippines on
June 6, 1899.

History[edit]
The Philippines was abiding by the contract labor law act until the national assembly through
Commonwealth Act No. 103 created the Court of Industrial Relations (CIR) on October 29, 1936.
In the onset of CIR’s existence[2] it was first placed under the supervision of the Department of
Justice. The court consisted of a presiding judge and four associate judges which were then
appointed by the President of the Philippines, which should have consent from the commission on
appointments.
During the martial law, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos issued presidential decree (P.D.)
21[3] creating an interim National Labor Relations Commission. It comprised three members the
undersecretary of labor as Chairman, the Director of labor relations and the Director of labor
standards. The Interim Commission took point in all matters involving employer-employee relations
including all disputes and grievances. The interim NLRC existed for two years, until the passage of
P.D. 442. The CIR was abolished on November 1, 1974 because of its conflicts with the provisions
of the newly formed interim NLRC. The NLRC under P.D. 442 was given the same scope of services
to the interim NLRC but had its members increased as the volume of labor cases also increased.
After the EDSA revolution the NLRC was regionalized[4] after the 1986 constitutional convention. The
first and second division's main offices are located in Manila. These divisions handle cases from
the National Capital Region (NCR). The third division, whose offices are also located in Manila,
handles cases from Luzon except the NCR. The fourth division, which is located in Cebu City,
handles cases from the Visayas, while the fifth division, located in Cagayan de Oro City, handles
cases from Mindanao.
Rules of procedure[edit]
The Labor Code of the Philippines which is part of article 218 [5] of the revised penal code has issued
the NLRC the following set rules for handling its cases:

 Rule 1 – Title and Construction, only signifies the title of the governing rules.
 Rule 2 - Definition of Terms, defines the legal terms used in the terms and phrases defined in
Article 212 of the Labor Code shall be given the same meanings when used in NLRC cases.
 Rule 3 - Pleadings, notices and appearances, signifies that the parties involved will be given
due notice for any impending proceedings.
 Rule 4 - Venue, assignment and disposition of cases, advises that cases which Labor
Arbiters will file the case in the regional arbitration branch that has jurisdiction over the
workplace unless there are justifiable reasons why it should be filled elsewhere. An example of
this would be a sensitivity of a case where one party is in danger.
 Rule 5 - Proceedings before Labor Arbiters, signifies that the Labor Arbiters shall have
exclusive jurisdiction to hear and decide all cases involving labor issues.
 Rule 6 – Appeals, it signifies where to submit an appeal after a case has been decided and this
area also advises both parties of the timeframe given for an appeal to be submitted.
 Rule 7 - Proceedings before the Commission, this rule suggests that the process flow of each
case proceeding from the time a case is filled towards the decision or further into the motion for
reconsideration.
 Rule 8 - Execution proceedings, signifies the rules to take place after decisions have been
done and how the winning party could claim the damages incurred.
 Rule 9 - Certified cases, signifies that the NLRC’s cases are certified by law and any cases
which happened within the proceedings are considered final unless appeals are made.
 Rule 10 – Contempt, signifies that committing any act of misbehaviour in the presence of the
Chairman or any Commissioner or Labor Arbiter will herby be given an additional penalty.
 Rule 11 – Injunction, illustrates the injunctions that may happen within a labor case.
 Rule 12 - Commission seal and records, and powers and duties of Commission officials,
illustrates the notices to be given, how archives may be accessed and duties of the officials and
employees of NLRC.
 Rule 13 – Effectivity, indicates that these rules are in effect 15 days after August 31, 1990
which means that these rules were officially used starting September 15, 1990.