Keppel union protests looming termination of over 70 workers

CEBU, Philippines - Around 100 union members and supporters of the Keppel Shipyard employees union staged a rally outside the shipyard gates in Mactan yesterday to protest the alleged “redundancy program” of management that sees 70 workers on the brink of joblessness.

The list of workers to be terminated for redundancy was released by management yesterday but the union said the same is allegedly tainted with “bad faith” since negotiations between the management and union are still ongoing.

“The redundancy announced by management is tainted with bad faith since negotiations with the union on the issue are still ongoing. This is an early Black Friday for the 70 workers who are to be jobless due to redundancy,” said Roger Igot, president of Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Baradero Keppel Shipyard - National Federation of Labor.

If the 47 workers who availed of the retirement program would be counted, the termination of 70 more workers would slash the shipyard’s workforce by almost half.

Supporting the Keppel Shipyard employees union in yesterday’s rally were workers of General Milling Corp., Lami Foods, Neostone, Prince Warehouse, Giardini del Sole and residents of barangays Looc and Poblacion who are members of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino.

Last March 15, the union filed a notice of strike for alleged union busting by management. The day after, an overwhelming majority of union members voted for work stoppage.

Igot disclosed that Keppel Sing-Marine Philippines, Inc. has filed with the Board of Investments for pioneer status and will supposedly employ 620 workers through the P590-million facility for making tugboats and support vessels.

Igot said that once Keppel Cebu terminates many of the 280 regular workers and union members, the remaining employees would, in effect, be a minority among the more than 500 contractual workers of Keppel Sing-Marine.

And because the contractual workers would only be paid the minimum wage, they will not have any protection from the union and will not be covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Dennis Derige, PM-Cebu spokesperson, said it is ironic that while Keppel may receive generous perks such as tax-and duty-free importation of capital equipment, income tax holiday of up to six years and exemption from wharf dues, export tax and import fees, the company is “destroying” its workers’ lives. – Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO (THE FREEMAN)