Advisory: Undas at picketline: Workers remember their dead by fighting for the living

MEDIA ADVISORY

November 1, 2016

Contact: Dennis Sequena @ 09301803072

Workers remember their dead by fighting for the living

WHAT: Laidoff and locked out workers will spend Undas at the picketline outside the garments firm Faremo

WHEN: Today, November 1 , 2016

WHERE: Picketline at Faremo International Inc., Cavite ecozone, Rosario

DETAILS:  Workers of the garments factory Faremo International Inc. at Cavite EPZA in Rosario are spending undas at the picketline. They are now on their 6th day at the picketline. Some 1,000 workers were laidoff last October 27 as the factory shutdown and have been locked out despite their demand that the factory remain open.

Another mediation meeting is scheduled on Friday, November 4, to resolve the dispute surrounding the closure of the biggest garments factory at Cavite EPZA.

The union is alleging that the closure is illegal since it is meant to bust the union and destroy the CBA. Early this month, management filed for temporary closure and the union proposed work rotation to preserve jobs and prevents layoffs. Management ignored the proposal and responded with the permanent closure.

Faremo is owned by the Korean textile multinational Hansoll and supplies to global garments brands. A union was formed by workers at Faremo last year in a bid to redress grievances such a low pay, verbal abuse and lack of benefits. A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was concluded just last May.

Garments firm closure has anti-union, pro-endo motive--union

The closure of the biggest garments factory at the Cavite export processing zone (EPZA) is motivated by management’s desire to bust the union and replace regular employees with contractual workers according to its labor union. Faremo International Inc., located at the Cavite export processing zone in Rosario town, closed and laid off some 1,000 workers, mostly women.

“Faremo is shutting down to get rid of the union but will open again but with endo workers. This is not the first and last time that this union busting scheme was done by companies at the Cavite EPZA,” asserted Jessel Autida, president of the Faremo International Workers Association.

Autida cited the recent case of Seung Yuen Technology Industries Corp. (SYTIC) which filed a notice of closure last April to force workers who had formed a union to accept separation pay but which is presently still in operation with agency employees. SYTIC is a Korean-owned plastics company that supplies to eletronics factories. [See DOLE-NCMB record at http://co.ncmb.ph/ncmb-region-iv-a-settles-dispute-at-seung-yeun-technology-industries-corp/?print=pdf]

Autida clarified that Faremo workers are not on strike and want to work but have been locked out. He explained that they are maintaining a 24/7 picket at the factory to protest the illegal closure and union busting, and to guard against machines being taken out of Faremo. According to Autida, the union at Faremo was formed last year in a bid by workers to improve pay, benefits and working conditions and stop mistreatment like verbal abuse.

“Faremo has not presented any evidence to back its allegation that it lacks orders from its customers and so has to shutdown. It is just feigning lack of customers and financial losses. Thus we suspect that Faremo will reopen using workers who are contractual and without a union,” averred Autida.

He added that “Faremo declared multimillion losses from 2011 to 2013 without ever shutting down. But just months after a collective bargaining agreement with the union was concluded last May, it suddenly closes.”

“When Faremo first broached that they may shutdown temporarily and layoff workers, the union responded by proposing that work be rotated so that workers need not be retrenched. But such doable measures from the union fell on management’s deaf ears. It replied with a hardline position—close the factory and bust the union,” argued Autida.

The management of Faremo filed a notice for permanent closure in October 21. In response the labor union filed a union busting complaint. Faremo is a subsidiary of the Korean textile multinational company Hansoll and supplies to global garments brands.

October 30, 2016

Cavite EPZA’s biggest garments factory closes as workers allege union busting

The biggest garments factory at the Cavite export processing zone (EPZA) in Rosario shutdown yesterday but its workers are alleging that it is a union busting maneuver. The management of Faremo International Inc. filed last Friday a notice for permanent closure. In response the labor union filed a union busting complaint.

Almost 1,000 workers were laid off yesterday at Faremo, the large majority of whom are women. Faremo International is a subsidiary of the Korean textile multinational company Hansoll and supplies to global garments brands.

“We do not believe Faremo’s claim that it lacks orders from its customers and so has to shutdown. We suspect that Faremo will reopen using workers who are contractual and without a labor union,” averred Jessel Autida, president of the workers union at Faremo.

Dennis Sequena, organizer for Partido Manggagawa which is assisting the Faremo workers, said that “Faremo’s closure is tainted with bad faith. A few weeks ago, a truckload of machines were taken out of the factory. Then the list of union members including their pictures were sent to other garments factories within the Cavite EPZA in a blatant blacklisting scheme to deny unionists alternate jobs. Finally management bypassed the union and talked directly to workers to cajole them into resigning.”

The union at Faremo was formed last year in a bid by workers to improve pay, benefits and working conditions and stop mistreatment like verbal abuse. Workers at Faremo, despite years of seniority, receive just the mandated minimum wage of P356.50, well below the daily cost of living which PM estimates at P1,100 per day. Pioneers at Faremo, who have worked since the factory started, receive just P1 higher than the rest of the workers.

“Faremo workers are paid so cheap they cannot buy the clothes they make yet Hansoll is a billion dollar global company. Hansoll declared USD 1.23 billion revenues last year and a conservative target of 5% net profit,” insisted Sequena.

He added that “While Hansoll wallows in profits, Faremo declared multimillion losses from 2011 to 2013 without ever shutting down. But just months after a collective bargaining agreement with the union was concluded, it suddenly closes.”

“When Faremo first broached that they may shutdown temporarily and layoff workers, the union responded by proposing that work be rotated so that workers need not be retrenched. But such doable measures from the union fell on management’s deaf ears. It replied with a hardline position—close the factory and bust the union,” argued Autida.

Since last week, workers have held daily protests like noise barrages during break time and pickets outside the factory gate. PM has launched a campaign to support the Faremo workers.

October 27, 2016

Advisory: Another mediation to resolve closure of biggest Cavite EPZA garments firm

MEDIA ADVISORY

October 27, 2016

Contact: Dennis Sequena @ 09301803072

Workers up picketline at Cavite EPZA firm as DOLE mediates closure dispute

WHAT: Workers of the biggest garments factory in Cavite EPZA setup a picketline even as DOLE convenes another mediation meeting re closure dispute

WHEN: Today, October 27, 2016, Thursday, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: NCMB Imus @ MYP GBY Building, Bayan Luma 7, Aguinaldo Highway, Cavite

DETAILS:  Some 1,000 workers of the garments factory Faremo International Inc. at Cavite EPZA in Rosario were laidoff yesterday. Today workers are setting up a picketline even as the DOLE calls another mediation meeting today to resolve the dispute surrounding the closure of the biggest garments factory at Cavite EPZA.

The union is alleging union busting as Faremo International Inc. declared a permanent shutdown.

In the mediation meeting last Monday, the DOLE mediator is proposing that Faremo consider temporary shutdown instead of permanent closure.

The union is alleging that the closure is illegal since it is meant to bust the union and destroy the CBA. Early this month, management filed for temporary closure and the union proposed work rotation to preserve jobs and prevents layoffs. Management ignored the proposal and responded with the permanent closure.

Faremo is owned by the Korean textile multinational Hansoll and supplies to global brands such as Gap, JCPenney and Kohl's.

A union was formed by workers at Faremo last year in a bid to redress grievances such a low pay, verbal abuse and lack of benefits. A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was concluded just last May.

Advisory: Biggest garments factory in Cavite EPZA shuts down to bust union

October 24, 2016
Contact: Dennis Sequena @ 09301803072

Mediation at DOLE today:

Biggest garments factory in Cavite EPZA shuts down to bust union

WHAT: Mediation between management and union of biggest garments factory in EPZA employing some 1,000 workers 

WHEN: Today, October 24, 2016, 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: NCMB Imus @ MYP GBY Building, Bayan Luma 7, Aguinaldo Highway, Cavite

DETAILS:  The union is alleging union busting as the garments factory Faremo International Inc. located in the Cavite EPZA declared permanent shutdown. Some 1,000 workers, mostly women, will made jobless as a result. Faremo is owned by the Korean textile multinational Hansoll and supplies to global brands such as Gap, JCPenney and Kohl's.

A union was formed by workers at Faremo last year in a bid to redress grievances such a low pay, verbal abuse and lack of benefits. A collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was concluded just last May.

The union is alleging that the closure is illegal since it is meant to bust the union and destroy the CBA. Early this month, management filed for temporary closure and the union proposed work rotation to preserve jobs and prevents layoffs. Management ignored the proposal and responded with the permanent closure.