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been withdrawn, 76 workers of the garment factory First Glory Philippines will pursue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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