Press Release
June 29, 2009
Hundreds of workers from around a dozen unions and associations in Metro Cebu held a “Day of Solidarity” for the embattled workers of Keppel shipyard and Paul Yu, a lamp shade factory inside the Mactan Export Processing Zone. Some 300 workers trooped to the picketline of the striking Keppel union and held a program from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.
“The day of solidarity is an opportunity for Cebuano workers to express their support and sympathy to fellow laborers who are in the midst of disputes and struggles against capitalists who are using the crisis as an alibi to demolish workers rights and undercut labor standards. We consider the fight of Keppel and Paul Yu workers as our own fight. An injury to one is an injury to all,” declared Greg Janginon, president of the Prince Warehouse union and Partido ng Manggagawa chairperson for Cebu.
The Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero (NMB) Keppel Shipyard-National Federation of Labor (NFL) has been on strike since June 19 after charging management of union busting. Meanwhile Paul Yu management has suspended more than 300 after one week of protests in support of seven leaders who had earlier been suspended. Roger Igot, president of the Keppel union, and Willy Dondoyano, head of the Paul Yu Workers Association, thanked the workers who attended the day of solidarity. “We can only succeed in our struggle on the strength of the militancy of the workers and the solidarity of the labor movement,” Igot averred.
The online campaign of the Paul Yu union has generated massive sympathy worldwide with more than a thousand supporters from more than 20 countries sending letters of protest through email to the management with copies furnished to the DOLE and PEZA. Paul Yu exports its lamp shades mainly to the US and Europe market. Those are the same areas where the Paul Yu workers have inspired support with hundreds of unionists and allies sending emails from the US, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.
Dondoyano stated that “We appreciate the support from fellow Cebuano workers and unionists from abroad. This outpouring of solidarity encourages us to continue with the fight.” A hearing was held this morning at the NCMB with management offering to terminate the protesting workers and pay them P3,000 per year of service. The offer is below the standards set by the Labor Code which in cases of companies that are not suffering serious losses must grant their workers a month’s pay per year of service. The Paul Yu workers refused management’s offer.
Workers from Altamode, SAWO, Giardini, Prince Warehouse, Neostone, General Milling Corp., Lami Foods and members of PM participated in the day of solidarity. A series of speakers spoke of the workers demands against layoffs, reduction of work days, contractualization and violations of labor standards as common grievances of workers inside and outside the export zone. The workers vowed to continue with more solidarity activities and mass actions until the Keppel and Paul Yu disputes are resolved.
Showing posts with label reduction workdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reduction workdays. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Export zone workers stop work in support of suspended leaders
Press Release
June 15, 2009
Hundreds of workers of a big lamp shade factory in the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) in Lapu-Lapu City refused to work today in sympathy with seven leaders that were suspended due to a protest action last month. Some 300 workers of Paul Yu, a locator in MEPZ II producing lamp shades for the export and local market, massed up outside the plant gates in protest. The work stoppage almost paralyzed the plant operations as only a few employees were working inside the factory.
“The suspension of seven leaders of the Paul Yu workers are not just in retaliation for the protest action last May 8 but also for the filing of a case last May 21 against management’s numerous unfair labor practices,” stated Willy Dondoyano, a leader of the Paul Yu workers and one of the seven suspended.
The work stoppage started at 8 a.m. today when seven leaders of the Paul Yu workers association were prevented from entering the factory premises on the strength of a suspension order. The preventive suspension was slapped by management supposedly for an “illegal strike” conducted last May 8. Officials of the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA) have met with the workers to convince them to return to work without their leaders but the protesters are adamant that all employees must be accepted back including those illegally suspending by management.
Dondoyano argued that “The May 8 protest cannot be considered an illegal strike for management agreed to face the workers in a dialogue together with PEZA officials. In the minutes of the dialogue that was duly signed by PEZA officials, it is stated that there will be no retaliatory action against workers involved in the protest.”
“Management is merely turning the tables on the workers. It is management that is guilty of illegal acts and unfair labor practice which we spelled out in the case we filed last May 21 at the Labor Department. Among these infractions is the three-day workweek implemented since December that lacks proper documentation and due notice with the Labor Department. Moreover, management is reducing the workdays for regular workers even as it continues to outsource 40% of its production to contractors,” he added.
The workers also found out that the AVI Amor Vil Inc., the biggest among three agencies that Paul Yu has contracted to supply workers for the factory, is not registered with the Labor Department and is thus another illegal act by management. A hearing has been scheduled on Thursday by the Labor Department to hear the complaints filed by the workers.
Among the protesting workers are agency employees who are up in arms at labor contractualization at Paul Yu. Many agency employees have worked for several years, some as long as five years, yet they remain irregulars whose contracts are renewed continuously every two months. Workers are also complaining of non-payment of holiday pay, non-remittance of SSS deductions for agency workers, non-implementation of paternity leave and non-payment of break time.
“Paul Yu is another case of a capitalist using the global crisis as an excuse to demolish workers rights and undercut labor standards. Workers are refusing to pay the price of a crisis that is not of their making. We salute the solidarity of the workers at Paul Yu, and their fight for labor rights,” stated Dennis Derige, spokesperson of Partido ng Manggagawa in Cebu.
June 15, 2009
Hundreds of workers of a big lamp shade factory in the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) in Lapu-Lapu City refused to work today in sympathy with seven leaders that were suspended due to a protest action last month. Some 300 workers of Paul Yu, a locator in MEPZ II producing lamp shades for the export and local market, massed up outside the plant gates in protest. The work stoppage almost paralyzed the plant operations as only a few employees were working inside the factory.
“The suspension of seven leaders of the Paul Yu workers are not just in retaliation for the protest action last May 8 but also for the filing of a case last May 21 against management’s numerous unfair labor practices,” stated Willy Dondoyano, a leader of the Paul Yu workers and one of the seven suspended.
The work stoppage started at 8 a.m. today when seven leaders of the Paul Yu workers association were prevented from entering the factory premises on the strength of a suspension order. The preventive suspension was slapped by management supposedly for an “illegal strike” conducted last May 8. Officials of the Philippine Export Zone Authority (PEZA) have met with the workers to convince them to return to work without their leaders but the protesters are adamant that all employees must be accepted back including those illegally suspending by management.
Dondoyano argued that “The May 8 protest cannot be considered an illegal strike for management agreed to face the workers in a dialogue together with PEZA officials. In the minutes of the dialogue that was duly signed by PEZA officials, it is stated that there will be no retaliatory action against workers involved in the protest.”
“Management is merely turning the tables on the workers. It is management that is guilty of illegal acts and unfair labor practice which we spelled out in the case we filed last May 21 at the Labor Department. Among these infractions is the three-day workweek implemented since December that lacks proper documentation and due notice with the Labor Department. Moreover, management is reducing the workdays for regular workers even as it continues to outsource 40% of its production to contractors,” he added.
The workers also found out that the AVI Amor Vil Inc., the biggest among three agencies that Paul Yu has contracted to supply workers for the factory, is not registered with the Labor Department and is thus another illegal act by management. A hearing has been scheduled on Thursday by the Labor Department to hear the complaints filed by the workers.
Among the protesting workers are agency employees who are up in arms at labor contractualization at Paul Yu. Many agency employees have worked for several years, some as long as five years, yet they remain irregulars whose contracts are renewed continuously every two months. Workers are also complaining of non-payment of holiday pay, non-remittance of SSS deductions for agency workers, non-implementation of paternity leave and non-payment of break time.
“Paul Yu is another case of a capitalist using the global crisis as an excuse to demolish workers rights and undercut labor standards. Workers are refusing to pay the price of a crisis that is not of their making. We salute the solidarity of the workers at Paul Yu, and their fight for labor rights,” stated Dennis Derige, spokesperson of Partido ng Manggagawa in Cebu.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Militant workers slam shipyard management for “blackmail and sabotage”
Press Release
May 8, 2009
The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today lambasted the management of Keppel Phils. for implementing a two-day workweek in order to force its workers to agree to its redundancy offer. A labor dispute has been festering in the Keppel shipyard since March with workers alleging management is out to bust the union Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero (NMB) Keppel Shipyard-National Federation of Labor (NFL).
“In the one month since an agreement was forged last April 8 between management and the union, Keppel has consistently tried to sabotage the settlement by blackmailing the workers into submitting to the redundancy plan by shortening the workweek. At the height of the dispute in March, Keppel workers were working just three days in a week. Now it is just two days in a week thus workers’ take home pay has been reduced to a third,” explained Dennis Derige, spokesperson of PM in Cebu.
PM is arguing that Keppel’s reduction in workdays is tantamount to a violation of the April 8 agreement. Section 3 of the agreement stipulates that neither side will engage in actions that will exacerbate the situation.
Derige answered management’s alibi that theirs is no work to be done. “The ship repair business was strong but they shifted to ship building thus forcing former clients to smaller shipyards in Cebu. Why then did they go into ship building when there is no marker for it? It only makes business sense because management wants to bust the union and replace regular workers with cheap and docile contractual labor,” he insisted.
Derige added that “Keppel is trying to starve the workers so they will agree to surrender their rights. We warn management that their blackmail will not work. Keppel workers are not alone. The labor movement will support Keppel workers in their fight.”
PM also criticized the DOLE for lying about the real status of the labor situation. “For several weeks the DOLE has kept on repeating the marketing line that companies are rehiring and layoffs are ebbing. But the unresolved dispute at Keppel and other struggles at MEPZ belie the DOLE’s propaganda,” Derige stated.
The Keppel union still has a pending notice of strike that it has not withdrawn. Since a majority of the work force has voted for the strike, the union can go on strike at any moment.
May 8, 2009
The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) today lambasted the management of Keppel Phils. for implementing a two-day workweek in order to force its workers to agree to its redundancy offer. A labor dispute has been festering in the Keppel shipyard since March with workers alleging management is out to bust the union Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero (NMB) Keppel Shipyard-National Federation of Labor (NFL).
“In the one month since an agreement was forged last April 8 between management and the union, Keppel has consistently tried to sabotage the settlement by blackmailing the workers into submitting to the redundancy plan by shortening the workweek. At the height of the dispute in March, Keppel workers were working just three days in a week. Now it is just two days in a week thus workers’ take home pay has been reduced to a third,” explained Dennis Derige, spokesperson of PM in Cebu.
PM is arguing that Keppel’s reduction in workdays is tantamount to a violation of the April 8 agreement. Section 3 of the agreement stipulates that neither side will engage in actions that will exacerbate the situation.
Derige answered management’s alibi that theirs is no work to be done. “The ship repair business was strong but they shifted to ship building thus forcing former clients to smaller shipyards in Cebu. Why then did they go into ship building when there is no marker for it? It only makes business sense because management wants to bust the union and replace regular workers with cheap and docile contractual labor,” he insisted.
Derige added that “Keppel is trying to starve the workers so they will agree to surrender their rights. We warn management that their blackmail will not work. Keppel workers are not alone. The labor movement will support Keppel workers in their fight.”
PM also criticized the DOLE for lying about the real status of the labor situation. “For several weeks the DOLE has kept on repeating the marketing line that companies are rehiring and layoffs are ebbing. But the unresolved dispute at Keppel and other struggles at MEPZ belie the DOLE’s propaganda,” Derige stated.
The Keppel union still has a pending notice of strike that it has not withdrawn. Since a majority of the work force has voted for the strike, the union can go on strike at any moment.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Another labor dispute erupts in Cebu over reduced workweek
Press Release
January 23, 2009
A new labor dispute has erupted in Cebu over a meat processing factory’s plan to reduce its work week from six days to just four days. The labor union of Lami Foods in Mandaue City will start daily protests this afternoon at the factory gates and will file on Monday an unfair labor practice (ULP) case at the NCMB Region VII office.
Desiderio Lastimoso, president of the Workers Organization of Lami Foods, said that they were surprised by a memorandum released by management last January 15 about the implementation of reduced work days starting on February 16. He explained that such constitutes a violation of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that stipulates that workers must be informed and consulted of any work arrangements 10 days in advance. After he refused to sign the memorandum, management tried to convince workers directly but to no avail.
The workers are demanding that management withdraw the workweek reduction scheme and to comply with the CBA provision on consulting the union. “The two days reduction in the workweek means a 33% reduction in workers pay. It is a sacrifice that workers cannot afford given the hard times. The company on the other hand is not affected by the global crisis since it produces for the local market. In fact, it is profitable since it recently introduced new machines that resulted in the overstock of products that management is now using as an argument for the reduction in working days,” argued Lastimoso.
The union expects that their ULP case will lead to a preventive mediation hearing to be facilitated by the NCMB. The Lami Foods union is calling on the solidarity and support of fellow workers in Cebu. They expect that labor unions in Mandaue, Lapu Lapu and Cebu cities will send delegations to their daily protests similar to the labor solidarity expressed with the workers of Giardini del Sole. “All for one, one for all. An injury to one is an injury to all,” exclaimed Lastimoso.
Lastimoso asserted that “Workers can accept the cut in working days if there is no cut in wages. Such a scheme simply means that management shares with its workers the increased profit resulting from the increased productivity of labor due to use of improved machines. It should not be the case that better technology leads to worse working conditions.”
Lami Foods is owned by an Alfred Choa and the factory processes meat products from hotdogs to hams and canned goods for the Visayas and Mindanao market. There are around 75 regular workers and more than a hundred contractuals.
January 23, 2009
A new labor dispute has erupted in Cebu over a meat processing factory’s plan to reduce its work week from six days to just four days. The labor union of Lami Foods in Mandaue City will start daily protests this afternoon at the factory gates and will file on Monday an unfair labor practice (ULP) case at the NCMB Region VII office.
Desiderio Lastimoso, president of the Workers Organization of Lami Foods, said that they were surprised by a memorandum released by management last January 15 about the implementation of reduced work days starting on February 16. He explained that such constitutes a violation of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that stipulates that workers must be informed and consulted of any work arrangements 10 days in advance. After he refused to sign the memorandum, management tried to convince workers directly but to no avail.
The workers are demanding that management withdraw the workweek reduction scheme and to comply with the CBA provision on consulting the union. “The two days reduction in the workweek means a 33% reduction in workers pay. It is a sacrifice that workers cannot afford given the hard times. The company on the other hand is not affected by the global crisis since it produces for the local market. In fact, it is profitable since it recently introduced new machines that resulted in the overstock of products that management is now using as an argument for the reduction in working days,” argued Lastimoso.
The union expects that their ULP case will lead to a preventive mediation hearing to be facilitated by the NCMB. The Lami Foods union is calling on the solidarity and support of fellow workers in Cebu. They expect that labor unions in Mandaue, Lapu Lapu and Cebu cities will send delegations to their daily protests similar to the labor solidarity expressed with the workers of Giardini del Sole. “All for one, one for all. An injury to one is an injury to all,” exclaimed Lastimoso.
Lastimoso asserted that “Workers can accept the cut in working days if there is no cut in wages. Such a scheme simply means that management shares with its workers the increased profit resulting from the increased productivity of labor due to use of improved machines. It should not be the case that better technology leads to worse working conditions.”
Lami Foods is owned by an Alfred Choa and the factory processes meat products from hotdogs to hams and canned goods for the Visayas and Mindanao market. There are around 75 regular workers and more than a hundred contractuals.
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