REINSTATE DISMISSED WORKERS AND LABOR LEADERS! STOP THE UNION BUSTING OF NEXPERIA PHILIPPINES!
Last December 17, NEXPERIA, a multinational semiconductor company, dismissed labor leaders operating at its factory, including the union’s president, Mary Ann Castillo, Vice President Antonio Fajardo, also acting chair of Pamantik-KMU (Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-KMU), Board of Directors member Girlie Batad, and shop steward Mervel Marquez. The union leaders were dismissed due to the alleged “obstruction of ingress and egress” that happened on November 15 wherein the union officials were simply updating its members about the status of their collective bargaining agreement.
This dismissal occurred while the union and NEXPERIA had ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Such acts are illegal and constitute a clear violation of labor laws on unfair labor practices, aimed at weakening the organized actions of NEXPERIA workers and dismantling the union. Such attacks are not isolated; by April 2024, a total of 54 workers had been temporarily laid off for at least six months, with 74 others being told they would also be laid off in the future. Last September for example, eight workers were dismissed, including three union leaders, for no apparent reason.
The root of such tensions is Nexperia Philippines’ insistence on a meagre 17-peso wage increase, which is far too low to meet their workers’ basic needs. Such contradiction is what union officials are fighting for, but instead of constructive discourse these union members face attacks instead. The Nexperia management have even refused access to company facilities, such as the canteen and gymnasium, for union meetings and other union activities. These are blatant examples of NEXPERIA disregarding the rights and well-being of its workers, merely for advocating better pay and working conditions for themselves. Through union-busting and mass layoffs, the NEXPERIA management is intimidating workers to collectively bargain for improved wages and working conditions. Not only is it a violation of their human rights, but it is also an attack on Filipino workers by a multinational company.
The Asia-Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (APCHRP) condemns this series of union-busting activities and intimidation of workers by Nexperia Philippines Inc. We stand with Nexperia Philippines Inc. Workers Union – NAFLU in pursuing a livable wage for Nexperia workers and a halt to unfair labor practices in their workplace. The APCHRP call on the Nexperia Philippines Inc. management to reinstate the dismissed workers, including labor leaders, and to respect the rights of workers to organize and join a union – ensuring their collective bargaining demands are fully met. ###
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