| Home Kapatiran
Links
Contact Us
Archive
Issue Number 24, August 2004
|
Kapatiran Issue
No. 24, August 2004
NESTLE STRIKE
UPDATE
Kapatiran 23, November
2003, detailed the epic struggle by Nestle workers from
the gigantic Swiss food transnational's Cabuyao plant in
Laguna (southern Luzon). 600 regular workers went on
strike in January 2002, over issues arising from their
Collective Bargaining Agreement, and have been on strike
ever since. The company has replaced them with casual
contractual workers, effectively locking out the
strikers, and using company goons, cops and the military
to violently resist any attempt by the strikers to get
back into their workplace.
The union of the striking Nestle workers belongs to the
KMU (Kilusang Mayo Uno - May First Movement), with whom
PSNA has had a long partnership. We asked the KMU for an
update. Here it is, as of July 2004. Ed.
- In April 2004, the Nestle union started sending letters
to the Supreme Court. The letters, signed by individual
workers and their families, urges the Supreme Court for a
speedy resolution of the Nestle issue. The letter also
contains the present situation of the families of
striking Nestle workers
- May 24 - after a hearing at the Municipal Trial Court
(MTC), Nestle workers marched towards the Nestle gate to
hold a peaceful protest picket. A commotion happened and
a worker was injured after a security guard hit his arms
with a steel pipe
- May 28 - the First Division of the Supreme Court asked
the two parties (Nestle union and Nestle management) to
submit a memorandum within 30 days. The memo should
contain facts, issues and arguments on the labour
conflict.
- June 23 - 1st anniversary of the violent dispersal of
the picketline (see Kapatiran 23 for details. Ed). The
workers marched around the communities nearby Nestle and
later held a peaceful programme at the Nestle gate
- June 28 - Nestle union filed the required memo; there
is no update if the Nestle management has already
submitted their memo.
- July 5 - the union submitted a letter to President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo calling for a speedy resolution
of the labour conflict. This is already the 5th letter
they have sent to the Philippine President. No response
as of yet.
- July 7 - the workers held picket protest at the Supreme
Court and Swiss Embassy - follow-up on the position of
the National Labor Relations Commission re the Nestle
issue; NLRC furnished the union a copy of a letter from
the Department of Justice (DOJ) addressed to the NLRC
dated April 14, 2004. The DOJ is asking the NLRC why it
is not implementing its decision on Nestle. The DOJ
letter was a result of Manila Archbishop Rosales' inquiry
to DOJ Secretary Mercedita Gutierrez about the Nestle
workers plight. When Archbishop Rosales was still a
bishop of Lipa, Batangas, he was one of the signatories
of a letter submitted to the President supporting the
union's struggle.
- July 19 - hearing of 38 criminal cases and ten new
individual cases at the Cabuyao Municipal Trial Court
(MTC)
- There is an on-going petition signing among the workers
to be submitted to the Supreme Court, asking again the
highest court of the land for the early resolution of the
cases
- Nestle Cabuyao's Line 1 underwent a total shutdown
purportedly for upgrading while the two remaining Lines
have minimal production. This state is rooted in the
shortage of skilled workers who can operate the
production lines. There are three production lines in
Nestle Cabuyao.
- Magnolia, the ice cream division of Nestle is rumored
to be transferring in Cabuyao, Laguna. Magnolia-Nestle
also went on strike in 1997 and unfortunately, the long
years of strike (more than two years) took its toll on
the workers and the union was busted. Meanwhile, the Lipa
branch of Nestle, which produces Milo and breakfast
cereals, will also be closed down.
- By August 2004, the Cagayan de Oro plant will be shut
down for one month and its employees will be deployed in
Cabuyao to augment the Cabuyao plant workforce
- The Nestle management is circulating propaganda around
the communities in Cabuyao that the management is already
offering 1.2m pesos each to the workers as separation pay
but that the union is not accepting the offer. Prior to
this, the Nestle management has boasted that the union
will not get even a single centavo from the company.
Go to top
|
