Workers picket furniture firm

CEBU, Philippines - Workers affiliated with the ALU-TUCP yesterday staged a picket in front of their company, R & Y Auguosti, a furniture firm in barangay Pagsabungan, Mandaue City, accusing management of being a run-away shop, unfair labor practice, and violating the economic provisions of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Joy Lim, the executive director of the ALU-TUCP, yesterday said the firm, which exports furniture and owned by Yourri Augousti, a Greek national, almost has 500 workers and about 250 members of the rank and file are ALU members.

Lim said the workers were provoked to picket yesterday morning after realizing they were allegedly being “left out in the dark” because most of them were no longer called back to work as the company transferred from one place to another.

She said the company was first located in barangay Canduman and then transferred to barangay Paknaan but after the company’s lease of contract with the building expired, it again transferred to a new building in barangay Sangi, Lapu-Lapu City in April, 2009.

Since the building in barangay Sangi was small, management required some regular workers to take forced leaves since last December while other workers were made to report on call.

 In April this year, when the contract on the lease of the building in barangay Sangi expired, the company ceased operation, leaving workers without  work.

No word has been heard from management about its obligations to the workers, Lim said.

Lim said the workers learned recently that the firm has again resumed operations this time in barangay Pagsabungan.

But the firm no longer took back the regular workers but hired workers provided by an agency. However, the company still maintained the same supervisory staff.

Lim said that with the same supervisory staff, the workers suspected the firm was being a “run-away shop,” which means that it transfers from one place to another in order to avoid its obligations and the benefits due the workers.

Lim said the CBA is still alive which recognizes the regular workers of R & Y Augousti and has yet to end in December this year.

“We already concluded four CBAs, which indicate that the company has been operating for more than 20 years now,” Lim said.

Lim said the workers would not stop from holding pickets until management faces the workers to settle issues and grant all the benefits due them, all stipulated in the CBA.

Lim said most workers have already worked for the company for more than ten years now.   (FREEMAN NEWS)