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| SAEU members hold flash mob @ Sanofi office @ Makati |
With a mediation meeting tomorrow between the union and management of pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Aventis (Phils) Inc. called by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz herself, the med reps are calling on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to broker a “fair deal.” The mediation is a make or break meeting as the notice of strike has already matured last week and the union has already been preparing for a work stoppage for the past several days through sustained protests.
Lei Lucido, president of the Sanofi Aventis Employees Union (SAEU), stated that “We have already reduced our demands, including for a wage increase, in a bid to break the collective bargaining deadlock. But since October, management has refused to meet its employees halfway. We just hope Secretary Baldoz can exercise moral suasion on management to open up to the union’s just and fair demand.”
“We are simply asking for salary we deserve. We are just claiming a wage increase proportionate to labor productivity and company profitability,” Lucido added.
SAEU is planning a big protest tomorrow to coincide with the mediation. The highlight will be a flash mob by several SAEU members who will dance while wearing Guy Fawkes (movie “V”) masks as expression of their determination to fight for a wage increase and decent benefits.
“We have met demanding sales quotas for two years back to back. Revenues are expanding while med reps are dwindling. Still labor costs are a mere 2% of Sanofi’s operational costs. Such productivity increases deserve a salary increase,” insisted Joseph Corpuz, a SAEU officer.
“The labor movement supports SAEU’s fight for a salary hike. All workers deserve a living wage. Ang laban ng isa ay laban ng lahat,” averred Renato Magtubo, chair of Partido Manggagawa (PM).
In the latest protest on Friday, SAEU members previewed the flash mob/dance that they will perform tomorrow. Since Wednesday SAEU has organized daily protests in cities across the country. On the first day of protests, pickets were held in the Sanofi office in Makati and the DOLE regional offices in the cities of Angeles in Pampanga, Cebu, Bacolod and Davao. Last Thursday, prayer rallies were held in the cities of Makati, Calamba in Laguna, Angeles, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Davao.
The fight of the Sanofi med reps has already gained support from various labor unions and groups. Aside from PM, members of the Bayer Philippines labor union, Philippine Airlines Employees Association, Federation of Free Workers and Industri-ALL global union have participated in the SAEU daily protests.
Photos and videos of the SAEU activities/protests can be accessed at the Facebook page "Sanofi Aventis Employees Union"
January 24, 2016
Sanofi Aventis Employees Union
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