Monday, February 1, 2021

MEPZ strike averted, workers to file case instead

 

A strike at the Mactan Economic Zone has been averted after several weeks of mediation led by Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ahong Chan. Though the strike notice has been withdrawn, 76 workers of the garment factory First Glory Philippines will pursue their demands by filing a case for illegal dismissal and union busting. Last December, the First Glory labor union filed a notice of strike and later members voted yes to going on strike.

 

“The union is now preparing to file a case at the National Labor Relations Commission and with the assistance of Partido Manggagawa (PM), we are confident of winning our complaint for illegal dismissal and union busting,” explained Cristito Pangan, president of the First Glory labor union.

 

The labor dispute at First Glory started with the firing last November 27 of 300 workers, including the union president and other union officers. At the time of the mass layoff, the union had a pending petition for certification election. A rally of terminated First Glory workers last November 30 was broken up by police and led to the arrest of five labor organizers. The so-called MEPZ 5 were later released as their cases for “disobedience to person in authority” were dismissed.

 

“Aside from filing a case, the union is also preparing for the certification election scheduled on February 15. The union has been key in fighting for the jobs of the 76 workers who refused to accept the retrenchment. The victory of the union in the election will also be important in improving the wages and working conditions of the remaining 700 workers of First Glory,” Pangan insisted.

 

The union is arguing that there the mass layoff is illegal as its main customer, the US brand J.Crew, has already exited from bankruptcy in September. “The labor dispute at First Glory is symptomatic of the epidemic of labor rights violations during the time of covid. Employers are weaponizing the covid-19 crisis to bust unions and violate labor standards,” Pangan declared.

 

The firings at First Glory comes on the heels of mass layoffs at other garment firms in the Mactan ecozone. Earlier the Sports City group of companies retrenched 4,000 workers, Yuenthai fired 200 workers, FCO International laid off 100 workers and Kor Landa dismissed 67 workers including the union officers. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has announced that half of the 428,071 workers reported as laid off last year were fired in the last quarter of 2020. Meanwhile the DOLE has put in abeyance four petitions for certification elections at three Sports City factories due to an appeal by management. PM has slammed this as an existing rule prohibits delays in elections due to management appeals.

February 1, 2021

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