Led by their unions, Kowloon House West and Wyeth Philippines workers protested on October 24 to demand wage increases and for the company and management to respect workers’ rights.
Led by the Kowloon House West Chapter of the Genuine Labor Organization of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant, and Allied Industries–Kilusang Mayo Uno (Glowhrain-KMU), workers picketed outside Kowloon House West on West Avenue, Quezon City. The union condemned what it called the management’s outright disregard for workers’ rights and violations of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
According to the union, the restaurant failed to implement CBA provisions including regional wage board-mandated across-the-board wage increase and the proper process in disciplinary cases. It also failed to provide appropriate benefits and protection.
“From Wage Order No. 23 in 2022 up to Wage Order No. 26 this year, management has withheld the CBA-agreed across-the-board increase. Kowloon thrives on the workers’ labor, yet our livelihood remains impoverished,” union president Bernard Dimaunahan said.
The restaurant feigns declining sales as its excuse for not implementing wage increases and other rights. “The company’s alleged losses is pure hogwash since high consumer demand doubled or even tripled production,” Dimaunahan responded.
Since June, workers have filed several cases with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) against the restaurant’s management for violations of the CBA provisions. The union also aired grievances against the restaurant’s new policies and disciplinary measures, which they said aim to intimidate workers and weaken the union.
“Kowloon workers remain firmly united despite the harassment we face. Our demand to recognize the CBA and our union is reasonable and just,” Dimaunahan added. The union hopes that their protest will compel management to engage with them and finally open long-delayed negotiations for a new CBA.
Since August this year, the union has been pressing to start negotiations, but management has deliberately delayed and ignored the process.
Wyeth Philippines workers held a protest anew in front of the company’s plant in Cabuyao City, Laguna, led by the Wyeth Philippines Progressive Workers Union–Drug, Food and Allied Workers Federation (WPPWU-DFA-KMU). They denounced the capitalist’s continued refusal to address their demands for fair wages and regularization after almost four months of negotiations for the CBA.
The union reported that their representatives rejected the capitalist’s paltry offer in response to their wage increase demand. On October 21, during the 16th negotiation meeting, the WPPWU refused the offer of an additional ₱4,500 in wages over three years plus existing benefits. This was far from the union’s demand of a ₱15,000 increase over three years, which they had already compromisingly reduced to ₱10,000.
“We cannot accept this treatment! After all, without our labor creating the products, they would have nothing to sell and no profits to gain!” the union declared. It stated that the workers’ demand is modest compared to Wyeth-Nestlé’s ₱19 billion total profit in 2024.
Based on their computation, the wage increase they are demanding amounts to just ₱1,320,000 for the union’s 132 members, equivalent to only 0.069% of the capitalist’s profit in 2024. The union said Wyeth Philippines’ management is clearly scum for refusing to grant fair wage increases.
