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They had no income for two months and received no aid from government. When they held a protest demanding government to allow them to earn a living, they were arrested and detained.
"The government placed workers lives in the hands of private employers who prioritize profit over workers' health and safety. It has placed workers' lives in the hands of small employers who do not have the necessary resources."
“This is a clear attack on the democratic rights of unionists and workers who are fighting for legitimate rights.”
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)’s Bureau of Workers Concerns (BWSC) has so far given P1,000 cash subsidy for 49,267 sugar workers, or only seven percent of the 700,000 sugar workers in the country.
Labor group Defend Coca-Cola Workers reported cases of harassment against as early as January of this year, when Coca-Cola management brought workers to Fort Sto. Domingo, Santa Rosa, and Camp Vicente Lim, Calamba, for anti-union seminars.
"We mourn behind the face mask. We rage over the token relief promised but not received. We rage despite the physical and social distance."
Since the declaration of the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), BIEN has been calling out on BPO companies and the government to protect the safety of the workers. Still the lack of proper transport service, inadequate near site accommodation and limited work-from-home arrangement continue to threaten many BPO workers from job loss or even in being forced to be on a “floating status.”
Defend Coca-Cola Workers described the incident as a “clear case of harassment and anti-union practice”, calling it “shameful and infuriating” that Coca-Cola would “collude with the AFP and PNP to take advantage of the hunger, fear and struggle faced by many due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“It’s disheartening that while workers are uniting to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, towards just compensation, and against widespread lay-offs, NTF-ELCAC is hard at work oppressing workers’ rights.”
“They are using the crisis to worsen the workers’ condition and exploit them, knowing that they have nowhere else to turn to.”
Four in ten of the almost 2,000 respondents on their online survey claimed they haven’t received any assistance yet from DOLE due to inefficiencies in its process, while 23 percent claimed their applications were not processed by their respective employers.
“TAG expresses its strong disappointment at this lousy treatment of the network’s talents, our colleagues, the network’s biggest assets, and yet, these are the very same people with no hazard pay nor allowance during these times.”
The workers need economic packages such as a month's worth of salary that should be subsidized by the government or their company, moratorium on electricity and water bill collections or one month subsidy for these utilities.
“It is not the government – who belittled the impact of Honda Cars’ closure – but the strength of workers’ unity that is key in achieving a better separation package in order to start again.”
“The capitalists at Honda backstabbed the workers whose livelihoods are on the line. It’s clear that they’re sidestepping and twisting the law in order to serve their own interests.”
"Even after the full implementation of the Salary Standardization Law V in 2023, the front-liners in education will still be no better off than the police and soldiers in uniform whose salaries were swiftly increased by 50% to 100% by the Duterte administration.”
Labor group Defend Job Philippines dubbed Gardiola’s announcement as “massacre" of livelihood of thousands of motor taxi drivers. An estimated 30,000 to 47,000 drivers will be affected.
Gabriela Women’s Party called out the action, reminding BPO firms that the current ash fall is “an occupational safety and health issue.” GWP cited Republic Act 11058, or the Occupational Safety and Health Law, which states that workers have right of refusal to work without threat or reprisal if an imminent danger exists in the workplace.
“It (the ruling) is a rebuke against the continued exploitation of media workers through contractualization.”
The labor violations experienced by the workers include 14-hour shifts without overtime pay, contractualization, union busting, among others. While the workers celebrate the release of the Regent 23 through the help of Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, RFWU has been mired in debt for payment of bail amounting to P300,000 (US $5,890).
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