BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Students who are entering college in this province were given another chance to finish a degree under a financial grant from the Social Development Management Program of a mining firm.
Before this school year commenced, a renewed scholarship challenge has been widely publicized by FCF Minerals Corp., which operates the Runruno goldmine in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya.“Those who would be taking up degrees in Geology, Mining Engineering and Metallurgy are given top priority,” says Elmer Castañeto, an educator based at the Nueva Vizcaya State University who chairs the scholarship selection committee.
Under the implementing guidelines of the 1995 Mining Act, Castañeto said a mandatory program called “Development of Mining Technology and Geosciences” institutionalized a scholarship program aimed at producing mining professionals and other future experts from allied engineering and technical disciplines.
FCF Minerals has convened its multi-stakeholder committee on Friday to evaluate the past semester performance of its current scholars. Taking off from the result of the evaluation, they will act on existing scholarship contracts and accept new applications.
The committee is expected to finalize the list of students to be included in its roster of 2017 scholarship grantees. FCF Minerals the Filipino subsidiary of UK-based Metals Exploration PLC, operates the Runruno Gold-Molybdenum Project under a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement with the Philippine government.The Runruno mine started commercial production last July.
In August, FCF Minerals and its workers signed their first Collective Bargaining Agreement designed to provide and ensure their welfare, benefits and harmonious relationship between the management and the rank and file employees.
The CBA took effect since May 4, 2017 until May 5, 2022.
“With the signing of CBA, more benefits will be assured to around 500 rank and file employees. This will also promote peace and harmony between the company management and our workers,” said Peter Storey, FCF Minerals general manager for operations.
Storey said the major provisions of the CBA covers the revised salary structure, general wage increase and performance appraisal rates, paid leaves, days and hours of work, health, safety and recreational program and retirement pay and separation pay in cases of redundancy or retrenchment.
Other issues covered by the CBA are the non-economic provisions such as the scope of bargaining unit, union recognition, management prerogatives, union security, union rights and privileges, obligation of both parties, job security, special provisions on disciplinary actions, grievance machinery and procedure, labor management committee, productivity and incentive scheme, saving clause and effectivity and duration of the agreement.
