Philex Mining keeps gates open, excuses striking workers

PADCAL, Tuba, Benguet — Philex Mining Corporation said operations at its Padcal mine remain normal despite a strike launched by members of the National Mine Workers and Alliance Workers Union (NAMAWU) Local 101 on 11 October 2026.

Padcal Mines spokesperson Atty. Eduardo Aratas said the company’s workforce includes managers, supervisors under a separate union affiliated with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), as well as monthly and daily-paid rank-and-file employees. Work schedules and rest days are set in advance, while regular leave procedures remain available for sickness and emergencies.

The strike stemmed from a deadlock in negotiations for the 2025 to 2027 collective bargaining agreement, particularly over wage increases and production-contingent pay. After conciliation efforts failed to resolve the issues, a majority of union members voted to proceed with the strike.

Aratas said the gates of the Padcal facility remain open to employees who choose to report for work, while workers participating in the strike are also allowed to exercise their right to join union action.

Management is recording the attendance of striking workers as excused, rather than absent without leave, to ensure their participation in the strike is not treated as an unauthorized absence.