Workers of a Philippine garments factory supplying to Costco, Disney
and Korean brands started protests today against a planned shutdown. The
factory Sein Together Philippines will close temporarily for one month by end
of September due to alleged lack of orders. However, the workers charge that
the orders are being shifted to other factories and the shutdown is meant to
harass union members into accepting separation.
In a memo announcing the shutdown, management also offered separation
to workers. Since then, workers have observed bundles of textile being trucked
out of the Sein Together warehouse. It is suspected that the raw materials and
the orders have been shifted to Sein
Together’s sister company S&S and another Korean-owned factory called Do
First.
The illegal shutdown is just the latest in a series of attempts by management
to subvert the workers’ freedom of association. When the union was formed early
this year, suspected leaders were transferred to a single production line to
separate them from other workers. Then the factory was also closed temporarily
in April. Management personnel started a whispering campaign that the factory
will close down if the union proceeds. Management further convened several meetings
of workers to discuss the alleged drawbacks of a union.
The workers union of Sein Together has filed a complaint at the Labor Department
for illegal shutdown. The company did not attend the hearing called by the
Labor Department last Monday. To coincide with another hearing today, workers are
wearing red ribbons to symbolize their opposition to the planned shutdown and
union repression. The union is calling on the company to stop transferring the
orders to other factories and to remain in operation.
Sein Together Philippines is located in the Cavite Economic Zone. It is
a subsidiary of the Korean apparel company Sein Together Co. Ltd. Aside from
Costco and Disney, Sein Together Philippines also supplies to Crocodile and Korean
brands Homeplus, Daiz and Jaju. ###
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