More than 7, 000 workers have received back wages and other benefits worth P208.6 million from January to June this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said Sunday.

A report from the DoLE-National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) showed that the 7,622 workers were paid in back wages after the NCMB settled 396 labor cases filed in their office during the first half of 2009.

At least 524 workers received an economic package worth P7.6 million after their cases were settled under the single entry approach (SENA) while 761 workers received a total of P47.5 million in collective bargaining agreement (CBA) benefits after a CBA deadlock was settled under preventive mediation, NCMB said.

Another 379 workers received separation and restitution packages amounting to P9.5 million.

The NCMB also said that it facilitated the settlement of CBA deadlock involving workers and companies that filed notices of strikes and lockouts (NS\L) with the board in the first six months.

A total of 5, 245 workers benefitted from the settlement and collected some P134 million in CBA economic benefits, while another 704 workers received a total of P10 million in separation and restitution packages, it said.

Moreover, the NCMB report showed that it already documented a total of 139 new N/SL cases as of June this year. The new cases are 29 percent lower compared to the 195 cases culled during the same period last year.

Recently, the DoLE office formed a committee to hasten settlement of labor disputes and delivery of labor justice to workers.

Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque said the committee in charge of the DoLE speedy and efficient delivery of labor justice (DoLE SpeEd) "has been constituted to hasten the resolution of labor and employment disputes lodged at concerned DoLE regional offices, bureaus, and attached agencies.''

Roque said the committee is tasked to monitor case dispositions and make necessary interventions to ensure the speedy and efficient dispensation of labor justice and assistance to workers involved in these cases.

He said that the committee will be chaired by the DoLE Undersecretary for labor relations, Romeo Lagman.