About 50 former workers belonging to the Associated Labor Unions forced a stalemate in port operations Saturday by storming the gates of the Philippine Ports Authority and pushed their position further inside the port zone.

The move was made after the PPA reopened the Dumaguete port Saturday, taking over the disputed cargo-handling services for one month, while top level talks continue to solve the ongoing labor problem.

Renato Tolinero, Dumaguete port manager, said the port police did not resist the entry of the strikers in order to prevent violence.

He said he has informed the Department of Transportation and Communications about the situation and the DOTC is expected to instruct the Philippine National Police to remove the strikers from the port.

"We will just assist the PNP," Tolinero said.

The order to reopen the port was signed by PPA General Manager Oscar Sevilla three days after it was closed due to the labor dispute.

Tolinero said the order of Sevilla specifically stated that the PPA Special Takeover Unit would utilize the workers of Prudential Customs Brokerage Services Inc., which had won the bid for the port cargo handling operations.

The demand of the ALU for PCBSI to absorb all of its 118 members and recognize their union as the collective bargaining agent is still pending in court and the ALU has vowed to take the matter all the way to the Supreme Court.

The Dumaguete port started accepting passenger boats Saturday morning,

But, as this story was being written Saturday afternoon, there was yet no indication that cargo operations would resume. 

Cargo vessels refrained from docking at the port as of 8 a.m. last Saturday over reports that there were no cargo handlers on duty.

Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices welcomed the news of the reopening of the port but expressed dismay at the PPA order to hire the workers of PCBSI, saying this may only result in another violent dispersal operation later on.

"The problem is not yet solved," he said.

Perdices said Rep. George Arnaiz was scheduled to make representations with Malacañang  to change the PPA order to instead hire the ALU workers who are staying near the entrance and exit gates of the port area.*AP

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