Cigarette workers to stage a protest at DOLE!
MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Labor Union (PMFTCLU-NAFLU) will hold another picket today (August 28, 2018) while the DOLE convenes another mediation hearing. The union is set to hold a strike vote in a few days. A strike can then be held seven days after a majority of union members “Vote Yes.”
The labor dispute at the leading cigarette manufacturer is part of a rising wave of workers unrest. Scores of Notices Of Strike (NOS) have been filed and strikes are erupting in various companies. The cigarette company shut-down its Vigan, Ilocos Sur redrying plant affecting 90 workers and also laid off 220 workers (1/3 of some 600 workforces) at Marikina factory three weeks ago. In response, the union filed a NOS on August 9 and started protests. Yesterday the union held a general assembly to finalize plans for the strike vote.
Management alleges “rightsizing” is due to the forthcoming impact of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law and other factors. Union avers shutdown and layoff is attended by bad faith and deceit as the basis and terms of the shutdown and layoff were not subject to negotiation.
Moreover, management admitted that the company is profitable and workers have achieved the target key performance indicators. Thus the union is lambasting management for termination as a “reward” for labor productivity.
Some P2.35B or 65% of the P 3.63B total income of the Lucio Tan Group for the first quarter of this year came from its tobacco business. CPM
Photos of the various union protests and activities at https://www.facebook.com/zpipsamonte/
