Respect Fast Food Workers' Alliance

Workers of Sofitel lauds the Senate Inquiry into the union busting in Sofitel

The imminent closure of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel on July 1, which unions have called a grand union-busting scheme, has triggered a Senate legislative inquiry. The closure of hotel will displace over 1,000 workers and their families.

On June 24, 2024, Senator Risa Hontiveros introduced PSR No. 1059, a resolution calling for a Senate investigation into the labor policy implications of the impending closure of Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

"This is a laudable move. It is high time that workers be provided with solid guarantees against union busting," said Marco Gojol, NUWHRAIN Deputy Secretary General.

According to the union, all indicators suggest the hotel will reopen after the renovation. In an interview last year, President Peña Sy of the Philippine Plaza Holdings Inc (PPHI) stated that the company has allocated about P3 billion to P4 billion to rehabilitate the building, which they plan on recovering through the remaining 17 years on their lease with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). They are also seeking an extension for 25 more years, up to 2066, and have recently invested in new furniture and dining equipment.

However, the PPHI continues to keep workers in the dark about its future plans.

"Sofitel's secrecy about post-renovation plans leaves workers anxious and uncertain about their future," Gojol said. "Its refusal to provide job guarantees to all those affected and to continue respecting the union and its CBA should it reopen tells us it is only after one thing: to bust the union."

Thanks to years of hard work by the unions through collective bargaining, Sofitel workers enjoy some of the best wages and benefits in the industry. Several years ago, the unions also won a decision to regularize at least 700 contractual workers, which the company continues to challenge legally.

The union pledged to sustain the fight. "Our fight will not end with the closure of Sofitel. It will only mark the beginning of a shaming campaign against PPHI and its partner Accor SA at the global level," Gojol declared. # # #

Accor Group Department of Labor and Employment - DOLE Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila

Ramadan Kareem!

As we celebrate Ramadan today, 11 March 2024, Monday, SENTRO expresses our solidarity with the Palestinian. We join the international community in the continuous call for a permanent ceasefire, a stop to genocide in Gaza, and an end to Israeli occupation. Words cannot adequately convey the horrors of war being experienced by the Palestinians from the endless airstrikes and ground raids carried out by Israel. There must be a stop to this genocide and human suffering!

Tiwala ang Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa sa kakayahan ni Leni Robredo na isulong ang agenda ng sektor, dahil alam nilang matagal na niya itong ginagawa. Mula sa pagiging abogado ng mga marhinalisado hanggang sa paglilingkod bilang bise presidente, pinatunayan niya na uunahin niya ang interes ng mga manggagawa, magsasaka, mangingisda, at mahihirap. Napakaraming resibo, at ang inyong tiwala sa ating adhikain ang magsisigurong . Maraming salamat po!

Reinstate Alfredo Marañon, Belarmino Tulabut, and Danilo Pineda!

Mahigit isang taon na ang nakalipas pero patuloy pa rin tayo sa paggiit ng ating karapatan. Ibalik sa trabaho sina Fred, Jhun at Dan!

SENTRO union leaders support the struggle of the people of Myanmar.

This Earth Day 2021, we call on Coca-Cola Philippines to uphold workers' rights and well-being as it "reiterates its continuous and steadfast commitment to protecting water resources as a way of protecting and uplifting people’s lives."

There can be no environmental sustainability without job security and union security! Stop union busting and respect trade union rights!

In support of the online advocacy of the Philippine Commission on Women to provide a daily dose of inspirational quotes from Filipino women through , the Institute for Labor Studies will also have a series of social media posts featuring the quotes and takeaways from our women speakers from last year’s Revive and Thrive Webinar Series.

Nice Coronacion of NAGKAISA Labor Coalition believes that a world of work free from violence and harassment starts with awareness with action.

You can watch the episoode again by clicking this link:
https://www.facebook.com/ilsdoleofficial/videos/702801557318728

Workers doubt efficacy of second lockdown under the same leadership

We cannot, for lack of better strategy at present, do away with lockdowns but workers, at the very least, deserve better leaders who possesses the needed competence to do their best under any circumstances.

The Nagkaisa! labor coalition, said that while workers have no other choice but to obey stricter rules under this second lockdown, they, nonetheless, deserve no second-rate response from the same leadership.

“Hindi pwedeng segunda manong aksyon lang ulit dito sa second lockdown,” stated Nagkaisa! Chair Sonny Matula, noting that the country reverted even steps back from square one as the resurgence of COVID-19 infection is now happening under worst economic conditions, tired frontliners, collapsing healthcare system, jobless workers, and dwindling financial resources.

Nagkaisa since last year has been calling for ayudang sapat para sa lahat, balik-trabahong ligtas, and the non-militarization of the pandemic response. In particular, it is pushing for an income guarantee of P10,000 for those unable to work, including freelancers and OFWs, and employment guarantee of 100 days for the unemployed.

It also advocated for the imposition of tax on wealth to fund the country’s pandemic response, economic recovery, and sustainability.

Matula said that members of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), especially Health Secretary Duque and economic managers headed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, should be made accountable for their incompetence in managing the country’s combined health and economic crises.

“The President is equally accountable for their failures, but that we leave to the sovereign will of our people. For now, the least that can be done is to replace the IATF with more competent health experts and non-military people,” said Matula.

The group said it cannot understand why Duque remains at the DOH despite his glaring incompetence, and Dominguez for bringing the country back to being the ‘The Sick Man of Asia’.

It was Dominguez who rejected the 2020 Arise bill which proposed higher emergency response and stimulus packages for Bayanihan 2 and the 2021 National Expenditure Program. And now he continues to block the enactment of the proposed Bayanihan 3 in Congress.

“Surely, a week of hard lockdown will have a big impact on the economy again. Yet we don’t expect something spectacular from the same leadership whose efficacy rate might even be lower than Sinovac’s,” concludes Matula.

PRESS RELEASE
NAGKAISA
Labor Coalition
28 March 2021

Photo by: Del Serañab

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/23/21/labor-department-offers-filipino-nurses-in-exchange-for-vaccines-from-britain-germany

Lalong sasarap at sasaya ang bawat kainan at samahan kapag binigyan ng hustiya at sapat na benepisyo ang mga manggagawang tulad ni Ka Fred na nagtiyatiyaga sa likod ng bawat bote ng Coke.

kaya ibalik ang tatlong manggagawang tinanggal sa trabaho!

Alamin ang kwento nila: http://bit.ly/3nB8X2l