A labor NGO today condemned the attempt by a factory owned by Filipino billionaire Lucio Tan to disperse a protest held by its workers over a deadlock in CBA negotiations due to the management’s refusal to bargain in earnest.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) condemned Packageworld, Inc., a maker of packaging materials for beverages and other products located in Cabuyao, Laguna and an affiliate of Asia Brewery, for calling on the security forces of the Laguna Technopark Special Economic Zone against its workers.

A Facebook video posted on March 23 by one of the workers belonging to the Package World Inc. Workers Independent Union (PWIWIU) shows that a phallanx of Laguna Technopark security personnel, armed with shields and wooden baton, used water cannons against the workers who held a protest in front of the economic zone.

“This incident is a clear violation of workers’ right to hold peaceful protests to air their concrete grievances and legitimate demands. It should be investigated and those responsible for it – from the Package World management to the Laguna Technopark administration – should be held accountable,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director.

A union member informed CTUHR that the PWIWIU is demanding a P50 wage increase for each of the coming three years of the CBA coverage, while the management is offering a mere P23. The PWIWIU’s Facebook page shows that workers have been holding regular protests against the Packageworld management’s refusal to bargain in earnest since early February.

“The Packageworld workers have every right and reason to hold protests. CBA negotiations are meant to improve the state of labor rights. Wage increases are slowing down while price increases are speeding up. Without their right to protest, to strike even, they are just meekly pleading to the management,” Deligente said.

“Lucio Tan and the country’s billionaires should tame their greed especially during the current economic crisis. Workers will definitely call for wage hikes while demands for a wealth tax are gaining ground. Billionaires have amassed a huge wealth from workers and the people, and now is a great time to reduce the deep inequality between them and the majority,” Deligente added.

CTUHR also said that the violence at the protest shows the long-standing problems with the country’s special economic zones as regards workers’ labor and human rights, as these zones seem to enjoy their own laws.

“Special economic zones have long enjoyed impunity in violating labor and human rights. They have their own rules that do away with the protections mandated by the country’s 1987 Constitution and labor laws. This matter should also be investigated by the government and reforms should be made,” Deligente added.