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Labor group Defend Coca-Cola Workers reported cases of harassment against as early as January of this year, when Coca-Cola management brought workers to Fort Sto. Domingo, Santa Rosa, and Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, for anti-union seminars.
Since the declaration of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), BIEN has been calling out on BPO companies and the government to protect the safety of the workers. Still the lack of proper transport service, inadequate near site accommodation and limited work-from-home arrangement continue to threaten many BPO workers from job loss or even in being forced to be on a “floating status.”
Defend Coca-Cola Workers described the incident as a “clear case of harassment and anti-union practice”, calling it “shameful and infuriating” that Coca-Cola would “collude with the AFP and PNP to take advantage of the hunger, fear and struggle faced by many due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“It’s disheartening that while workers are uniting to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, towards just compensation, and against widespread lay-offs, NTF-ELCAC is hard at work oppressing workers’ rights.”
“They are using the crisis to worsen the workers’ condition and exploit them, knowing that they have nowhere else to turn to.”
Four in ten of the almost 2,000 respondents on their online survey claimed they haven’t received any assistance yet from DOLE due to inefficiencies in its process, while 23 percent claimed their applications were not processed by their respective employers.
“TAG expresses its strong disappointment at this lousy treatment of the network’s talents, our colleagues, the network’s biggest assets, and yet, these are the very same people with no hazard pay nor allowance during these times.”
The workers need economic packages such as a month's worth of salary that should be subsidized by the government or their company, moratorium on electricity and water bill collections or one month subsidy for these utilities.
“It is not the government – who belittled the impact of Honda Cars’ closure – but the strength of workers’ unity that is key in achieving a better separation package in order to start again.”
Labor group Defend Job Philippines dubbed Gardiola’s announcement as “massacre" of livelihood of thousands of motor taxi drivers. An estimated 30,000 to 47,000 drivers will be affected.
Gabriela Women’s Party called out the action, reminding BPO firms that the current ash fall is “an occupational safety and health issue.” GWP cited Republic Act 11058, or the Occupational Safety and Health Law, which states that workers have right of refusal to work without threat or reprisal if an imminent danger exists in the workplace.
The labor violations experienced by the workers include 14-hour shifts without overtime pay, contractualization, union busting, among others. While the workers celebrate the release of the Regent 23 through the help of Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, RFWU has been mired in debt for payment of bail amounting to P300,000 (US $5,890).
"With the work conditions and the additional work that teachers have to accomplish everyday, clear guidelines on effective methods of classroom management would be a great help for teachers to not get charged of violating RA 7610."
“Upholding worker's welfare and rights is what we do.”
Elements of the Cabuyao PNP, led by Lt. Col. Zeric Soriano, employees from the Cabuyao City Hall, along with hired goons from NutriAsia arrived at noon to demand the dismantling of the picketline.
“Although they are different companies with different forms of struggle, the fact remains that both [NutriAsia and Pepmaco] have committed grave transgressions against their workers.”
“They say we committed arson because we used some wood to cook our rice. That’s ridiculous. And robbery! The case said we stole a pallet worth P100,000. Let me ask you this: if the police were chasing you down, would you bother stealing a pallet? What would you even do with a pallet?”
In an increasingly impersonal world dominated by capital and profit margins, strikes shatter that illusion and remind us of the fundamental relations between people and things. Strikes are the tears shed at the sound of workers gaining their rights. They are the words “Lumalaban pa rin” said with the purest conviction, by workers who live, breathe, and have families to feed.
“In all the years that Monde Nissin operated and exploited workers, we were the only ones to launch a strike, and we did it twice.”
“This strike will not end until we are regularized.”
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