DFP strikers vow to stop operations

The striking employees of Duty Free Philippines (DFP) vowed yesterday to paralyze its operations starting today by putting up human pickets to stop the public from patronizing the main tax-free outlet at the Fiesta Mall.

The employees, who have staged a strike since Friday last week, denounced DFP for alleged union busting and a management plan to privatize the operations of the government-owned corporation.

They also claimed that DFP general manager Faustino Salud decided to turn over the off-airport provincial outlets and a big portion of the main branch of DFP to private concessionaires that led to the retrenchment of half of the original 2,000 work force.

Some of those who were left, according to the union officers led by Al Bautista, were forced into early retirement under pressure. The retrenchment, DFP management said, was decided upon as a cost-saving measure as the DFP was losing money.

But the union officials said that despite the said losses, management was able to acquire a new lease contract for its computer system worth P150 million, notwithstanding the alleged advances of P100 million to the Department of Tourism for its staff bonuses.–Rey Arquiza