On June 2, 2017, contractual workers of NutriAsia staged a protest against the condiment giant’s illegal labour practice. A picket line of 200 workers led by Jessie Gerola held this protest just outside the premises of the NurtiAsia factory in Marilao, Bulacan. Since then, a number of depressing developments happened – from the NuriAsia management statement to the violent (bloody) dispersal and administrative charges against the picketing workers and supporters. This is indeed a story of violations against people’s rights which raises the famous line of “There’s blood in your condiments.”
A True Labour Issue
On June 27 at 2:02 pm, Nutri Asia, in its Facebook page, issued a statement stating, “No Endo for Striking Workers against Nutri-Asia. We welcome the ruling of DOLE Region 3 which confirms that the striking workers are legitimate employees of the B-MIRK group. In light of this ruling, we choose to be compassionate and will work hard to bring this labor dispute to a peaceful resolution. It was unfortunate in the past that there were many negative reactions to this issue due to false information but we welcome the truth with this ruling and hope that all parties do the same. Nutri-Asia stands firm with its values of Malasakit, Excellence, Respect, Integrity and Ingenuity, Teamwork. We humbly ask everyone to move on and continue the journey towards the righteous path of compliant and good labor practice.”
Considering the release of NutriAsia’s statement, employees of the said corporation together with supporting youth activists, since June 2, 2018, have been protesting their rights to just wages and employment benefits as well as to voice out their being victims of contractualization. Their protests caught the attention of the authorities which resulted into a violent dispersal by the PNP on 30 July 2018. The police later denied their tumultuous acts on the protesting workers and supporters and claimed that they threw the first fist. Charges were filed against protesters and some of their supporters the next day.
In one of the striking worker’s testimonies, their labor union was unrecognized and prohibited but due to extreme conditions that they are suffering from NutriAsia’s refusal to regularize them, they unitedly formed their union called “Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng Nutri-Asia Inc.” as a response to the result of the investigation and inspection of DOLE. The findings point out that the contractualization in the company is illegal. Five (5) officials of the union were fired while the rest of the protesting workers were constantly being threatened of losing their jobs. The protest included NutriAsia’s recognition of the worker’s union, regularization, and complete employee benefits and to rehire union leaders who were illegally dismissed. One worker testified that some of them have been working for almost a decade, but are still contractual receiving a minimum wage of 380 pesos per 8 working hours. Another worker stated that they can be fired without the due process and without pay because they are just contractual workers. It was known that only 100 workers out of approximately 1,400 workers are regular employees. Another issue was that victims of work-related accidents were fired so the records of NutriAsia will be “Zero Accidents”. They were deprived of their rights as workers to have just wages, security of tenure and right to safe workplace. Safety gears are left to the contractual workers unless they are plantilla staff.
"Ang gusto lang namin, pakinggan nila kami. Bina-balewala 'yung sakripisyo namin, 'di nila kinikilala na kami ang gumagawa ng produkto nila," Quiza said. (What we want is for them to hear us. They disregard our sacrifices, and they don't acknowledge that it is us who make their products). Netizens, in support of the workers, caused an uproar in social media as they urged the people to boycott Nutri-Asia products (e.g., Mang Tomas, Golden Fiesta, Datu Puti, UFC, Locally, Silver Swan, Jufran, and Papa Banana Catsup).
Nutri-Asia Incorporated is owned by Joselito D. Campos Jr, son of Beatrice Campos, founder of UniLab, a trusted pharmaceutical company which is one of the quality healthcare providers in the Philippines. Nutri-Asia earns 27 million daily per product line and the owner, Joselino Campos Jr., who is also the CEO of Del Monte Pacific has a family net worth of 650 million dollars as of 2017.
A Violation of People’s Rights
The pressing issue of labour contractualization “enables capitalists to pay workers less for the same work, stunt economic development, and therefore harm the interests of all Filipinos” (Docena, 2016). The precarity of work nowadays further dampens the Filipinos below the poverty line. Such condition affects the purchasing power of over 24.4 million Filipino workers whose primary concern is to provide for the basic needs of their family.
This issue sparked debates and heated discussions on social media. In one of his interviews, Herbert Docena, a sociologist from the University of the Philippines, mentioned that labour contractualization serves as “‘intensified exploitation’ through the deprivation of the worker’s rights and benefits and as a result of the bourgeoisie’s repine for power and resources that will now lead us to the discussion of the social class and its inequality and how these upper class businessmen undermine the working-class organizations and leave the middle and the lower class helpless because it is an upper class’ assertion of their power over the marginalized and the unprivileged.” It is a point of concern for the UST Sociological Society since contractualization continually marginalizes groups of people rendering them helpless to unemployment and poverty. The structural problems wreaking havoc to the Philippine society are worsening, and the delay in solutions raises the question on the government’s priority and interest. Are we advancing for the welfare of the many needy Filipinos? Or is the country progressing only for a few people whose interests are preserved by the very government that promised protection of people’s rights?
By Sheine Nicole C. Lim
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