Filipino Triumph Workers Fight Eviction of Picket

Thursday, 29 April 2010 12:41

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On April 23, 2010 a temporary restraining order was issued against more than 100 Triumph workers who are protesting against their dismissals since summer 2009. The women workers fear that a forced eviction will lead to serious casualties.

< Please read this update:
May 10, 2010 - Filipino Triumph Workers Violently Evicted from Picket >

Background

With the first signs of disruption of the production in March 2009 at two Triumph factories in the Philippines, Triumph International Philippines Inc. and Star Performance Inc., the union has interrogated the Triumph management about their unilateral decisions and lack of transparency regarding the announced drop of production. When the closure of the factories was announced in June 2009, more than 300 workers joined a picket line, preventing the company to remove its machinery before a resolution of the dispute was reached. Despite several reported attacks on the picket line, more than 100 workers continue their protest to date.

Multiple meetings at the National Mediation Conciliatory Board did not result in any positive outcome, as Triumph International refused to reconsider the dismissals and negotiate with the union a higher severance pay and other benefits. The union recently requested the Department of Labor and Employment to support the start of a workers’ cooperative, which would offer decent work to the still jobless Triumph workers.

The request for the temporary restraining order (TRO) was filed by the Food Terminal Inc., which manages the industrial zone where the Triumph factory is located. Court documents prove that Triumph International promised non-movable goods to the zone authorities in exchange for the movable equipment. The Food Terminal did not only ask for a TRO, but in addition demanded 7 million pesos exemplary damages (approximately 117.000 euros), which includes 1.5 million pesos per month from January on. The case on the irregular closure of the Triumph factories in the Philippines, filed by the Triumph union in June 2009, is still pending as mediation meetings have not yielded any result due to Triumph's refusal to credibly negotiate with the union.

To show that they are not giving up their struggle, and in order to raise financial support, the Filipino Triumph workers launched the Maria’s Solidarity Collection. This collection consists of pants, tops and bags that have been produced at sewing machines installed at the picket-line.