Japanese businessmen support 10-year ban on labor strikes

Japanese businessmen in the Philippines have joined a group of local Chinese businessmen in a campaign to seek a government ban on labor strikes nationwide for at least 10 years.

Japanese Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (JCCP) chairman Ryukichi Kawaguchi said that while Japanese investors respect labor unions, the "misunderstanding" between Japanese investors with Filipino labor unions may also stem from "cultural differences."

"We do have a union. We do appreciate presence. We do respect the union," Kawaguchi said.

He added, however, "we do have strikes in Japan, but we are aliens here. We are not very familiar except those which have been here for a long time. But those who are asked, who are encouraged to come over and invest here, they don’t know. It’s very unfortunate there is a misunderstanding."

Kawaguchi said that when most Japanese investors decide to invest in a certain destination, they do so on the assumption that the investment destination is the "ideal" site.

"Unfortunately, after making such a huge investment, Japanese investors suddenly find themselves with a strike," Kawaguchi said.

Earlier, the Federation of Filipino-Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) has committed to create three million jobs in the next 12 to 14 years in exchange for a government ban on strikes nationwide for at least 10 years.

FFCCCI president Robin Sy said that most FFCCCII members have held back their expansion plans for fear that a labor strike could lead to costly work stoppages.