As strike in Cavite EPZA factory enters second day:
Big electronics firms asked to uphold labor rights pledge in their supply chains
As the strike at an electronics subcon in the Cavite EPZA entered its
second day, striking workers called on the company’s customers to uphold labor
rights in their supply chains. The strikebound Seung Yeun Techonology
Industries Corp. (SYTIC) supplies its products to local subsidiaries of
multinational electronics companies.
“We call on SYTIC’s customers to make good on their code of conduct
pledge. These companies have promised to respect freedom of association and
labor standards in their supply chains, which includes SYTIC,” stated Frederick
Bayot, president of the embattled SYTIC labor union.
The three biggest customers of SYTIC are ON Semiconductor
Philippines Inc. in Carmona, Cavite, Analog Devices General Trias Inc. in the
Gateway Business Park in General Trias, Cavite and Texas Instruments factories
in Baguio and Clark ecozones. All are local subsidiaries of US multinational
companies. ON Semiconductor is a spinoff of Motorola. SYTIC also supplies to
Cavite-based factories of local subsidiaries of US electronics companies Maxim
Integrated and Cypress. All these companies are members of the Electronic
Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) which pledges to uphold freedom of
association and labor standards in their companies and its supply chains.
Yesterday, several container trucks entered and then left the SYTIC
factory to deliver to the Texas Instruments assembly plant in the Clark,
Pampanga export zone. The law prohibits strikers from blocking the free ingress
and egress of workers and materials except for scabs or replacement workers.
In its website, EICC avers that it is “a nonprofit coalition of
electronics companies committed to supporting the rights and wellbeing of
workers and communities affected by the global electronics supply chain.” EICC
members are bound and accountable to a “code of conduct.” The code is a set of
standards on social, environmental and ethical issues in the electronics
industry supply chain.
“Partido Manggagawa (PM) through its allies and contacts have made
representation to the EICC and directly to SYTIC’s customers about the ongoing
dispute. We ask that they respond in accordance with the provisions of the EICC
code of conduct,” explained Dennis Sequena, a PM-Cavite coordinator.
The mediation meeting facilitated by the Department of Labor and
Employment yesterday ended without any agreement. The union demanded the
reinstatement of workers fired for union activities but management just offered
to give separation pay. Another mediation meeting is scheduled on Friday.
Production at the SYTIC factory remained paralyzed for the second day
as an overwhelming majority of the workers are participating in the strike.
Yesterday, strikers were joined at the picketline by supporters from PM, the
labor center Sentro and workers from nearby EPZA factories.
April 12, 2016
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