LABOR LAW

Holganza et al. vs. Apostol and SSS

GR L-32953, March 31, 1977

FACTS:
Private respondent SSS filed with the lower court a complaint for damages with a writ of preliminary
attachment against the dependents named therein. Herein petitioners filed a motion to dismiss for lack of
jurisdiction and prematurity of action. Said decision to dismiss was denied.

ISSUE: Does the lower court have jurisdiction over the complaint?

RULING: No, the complaint filed by respondent SSS stems from a labor dispute being that it resulted
from a certification issued by the President of the PHL from which a CBA was adapted as court award,
which in turn resulted in disputes that ended with a strike. On the basis of said strike SSS petitioned the
court to declare the strike illegal and the strikers declared in contempt of court. Such prayer is under the
exclusive jurisdiction of the CIR being that they are inseparable from each other as enunciated in
Associated Labor Union vs. Gomez. To rule otherwise would be to sanction split jurisdiction, which is
prejudicial to the orderly administration of justice.