[APWSLMembers 455] Nestlé workers mark 5th year strike, re-establish barricades

[Kilusang Mayo Uno]

PAMANTIK-KMU
NEWS RELEASE
16 January 2007

Nestlé workers mark 5th year strike, re-establish barricades

More than 600 Nestlé workers and their families 
marked their 5th year of strike on January 14, 
2007.  The next day, around 4:30 AM, they blocked 
the two company gates in Nestlé Cabuyao Plant in Laguna.

Noel Alemania, union president in Nestlé Cabuyao 
Plant, said they will hold the barricades at all 
cost “to compel the (Nestlé) management to comply 
with the latest Supreme Court ruling” as regards the labour dispute.

The Union of Filipro Employees (UFE-DFA-KMU) 
staged the strike on January 14, 2002 on the 
issue of the Retirement Benefits.  The Nestlé 
management used the non-inclusion of the 
Retirement Benefits as pre-condition to negotiate 
in the collective bargaining.  On August 22, 
2006, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its earlier 
1991 decision which states the Retirement 
Benefits as a valid CBA item; hence, directs the 
management and union to go back to the negotiating table to pursue the CBA.

“The management, for five months now, has not 
complied with the latest SC decision.  For the 
nth time, it (Nestlé management) is making 
another attempt to ignore the decisions of the 
highest court of the land,” said Alemania.

The militant Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Timog 
Katagalugan (PAMANTIK), the regional chapter of 
Kilusang Mayo Uno, expressed solidarity in the 
commemoration of 5th year anniversary of strike.

“The Nestlé workers have the right to restage 
their strike as a means to enforce the latest SC 
decision.  Their barricades expose the fact that 
such a decision has no power in itself if the 
government authorities, who are supposed to 
enforce the law, remain in utmost service to the 
whims of the capitalists and exploiters,” according to the PAMANTIK statement.

Meanwhile, some 50 fully armed elements of the 
CALABARZON Police, under Col. Santos, were 
stationed near the Nestlé gates. According to the 
workers “this scenario poses threats”.

“The police negotiated with us and demanded that 
we abandon the barricade in Gate 2.  From this 
alone, we can evidently see who these policemen 
are working for,” said Alemania.

The container vans exiting products from the 
company premises need to pass by the weighing scale located in Gate 2.

“Our activity here is peaceful. Our strike is 
legitimate.  The police have no reason to neither 
dissuade nor arrest us from exercising our rights,” said Alemania.

“The police and military had dispersed our 
strikes and peaceful activities in the past five 
years.  Our two union presidents were killed in the course of our struggle.”

Union president Meliton Roxas was assassinated in 
front of the picketline on January 20, 1989, 
during their first strike.  Succeeding president 
Diosdado “Ka Fort” Fortuna was also assassinated 
on his way from the picketline on September 22, 
2005.  Their cases remain unresolved to this 
day.  The workers claimed the Nestlé management, 
using the military and police, responsible for the killings.

“We will keep the barricades and we will hold our 
ground.  The best thing the police can do is to 
enforce the SC decision and oblige the Nestlé 
management to execute this decision,” concluded Alemania.###