COMPOSTELA, Compostela Valley Province — Workers of Packing Plant 115 in Barangay Maparat, Compostela, Compostela Valley Province together with other labor unions have united and dispersed members of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) conducting an illegall rally on October 03 2018.
Around five hundred (500) affected workers of Packing Plant 115 that are members of MOBASCO (Montevista Banana Service Cooperative), BAPAPWOCO (Bagungon Packing Plant Workers Cooperative) and North Skilled Workers Cooperative successfully dispersed illegal protesters consisting of around fifty (50) members of KMU who were destabilizing the operations of Packing Plant.
The workers of PP 115 and six (6) other packing plants under Sumifru Corporation in the area said they fought back as their plants’ operations were stalled. The workers who are depending on daily wage say they need to restore the plants’ operation and resume work in order to get paid. They said the KMUs illegal protest drastically affected their business’ operation which in turn threatened their means of income to feed their families.
As they fought back, the outraged affected workers tore down and burned the streamers brought by the KMU members. The picket of unions under KMU in PP 115 and six (6) other packing plants under Sumifru Corporation started last October 01, 2018 and has affected the daily production of the plant and the lives of its workers.
In April and May 2018, a Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) supervised election was conducted to labor unions providing service to Sumifru in Compostela Valley Province. Nagkahihusang Mamumuo sa Suyapa Farm – National Federation of Labor Unions – Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU) and other Unions under it have not participated in the said election resulting for the majority of its members to be disaffiliated, thus, compelling them to resort in joining the newly recognized union.
MOBASCO, BAPAPWOCO and North Skilled Workers Cooperative won the said election and entered to a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with Sumifru as its legitimate and authorized service provider. The affected workers were forced to take drastic actions against KMU due to its effect to the daily lives and wages of the workers.
One of the members of the affected workers said during an interview “pagod na at sawa na kami sa mga maling ginagawa ng KMU sa amin, kami na nakakarami ang nangangailangan ng pagkakabuhayan para sa aming pamilya kaya wala silang karapatan na ipatigil ang aming trabaho, umalis na sila dito sa Compostela dahil wala naman silang totoong natulong sa aming mga mang gagawa”. The affected workers are now considering filing cases against the leaders of NAMASUFA-NAFLU-KMU.