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Global Day of Action for 24 dismissed workers of NXP Philippines

On May 5 this year, 24 union officers of NXP Semiconductors in Cabuyao, the Philippines, were dismissed, following their refusal to work overtime on national public holidays. Upon this dismissal a wave of local protests followed. In support, IndustriALL Global Union and the GoodElectronics Network each wrote letters to the Dutch chipmaker NXP expressing concerns over the anti-union position of the company. So far, NXP did not respond. Today the NXP Semiconductors Company Workers Union and the Philippines National Labor Center Kilusang Mayo Uno, hold ‘A Global Day of Action’, including a mass protest action in Manila.

On May 5 this year, 24 union officers of NXP Semiconductors in Cabuyao, the Philippines, were dismissed, following their refusal to work overtime on national public holidays. Upon this dismissal a wave of local protests followed. In support, IndustriALL Global Union and the GoodElectronics Network each wrote letters to the Dutch chipmaker NXP expressing concerns over the anti-union position of the company. So far, NXP did not respond. Today the NXP Semiconductors Company Workers Union and the Philippines National Labor Center Kilusang Mayo Uno, hold ‘A Global Day of Action’, including a mass protest action in Manila.

The dismissed officers, which include all members of the union Executive Board as well as the Shop Steward Council, refused to work on April 9, National Valor Day, April 17 & 18, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and May 1, International Labor Day. With regard to the latter, the union and the company have a standing agreement that all union members will be off from work and cam participate in Labor Day activities. The dismissed officers were immediately put on a blacklist and were barred from entering the company premises. All their benefits were blocked.

According to Reden Alcantara, union president of the NXP Semiconductors Company Workers Union (NXPSCIWU) and concurrent national president of the Metal Workers Alliance of the Philippines (MWAP), the dismissal of the officers is meant to weaken the bargaining power of the union. “The management is trying hard to bust our union, and the dismissal of the officers is meant to sow fear among the workers and threaten them against supporting the union.” Prior to the dismissal, Alcantara said that the management also harassed the peaceful concerted actions of the workers, such as the protest march in front of the gates of the industrial enclave. The CBA negotiation between the NXP management and union started in January this year and already had 23 negotiation sessions.

Following the dismissals, on May 22, at a picket line in front of the Labor Department’s main office in Intramuros, Manila, leaders of the workers’ union in NXP had their heads shaved to protest their illegal dismissal. On June 5, a series of protests marked the first month of the dismissal. Today, July 2, a mass protest is held in Manila in the context of the Global Day of Action.

Letters

On May 13, the GoodElectronics Network sent out a letter to NXP Semiconductors expressing concerns and outrage about the situation at NXP Cabuyao, the Philippines. The GoodElectronics Network supports the demands formulated by MWAP, and is calling upon the company to:

  •  Immediate reinstatement of the 24 dismissed union officers;

  •  Stop harassing the workers;

  •  Respect workers’ rights to conduct peaceful actions;

  •  Sit down with the workers and resume the CBA negotiations immediately.

 

Global Union IndustriALL has also written a letter to NXP addressing the situation in the Philippines. IndustriALL Global Union, the MWAP and LabourStart jointly urge NXP to:

  • Reinstate the 24 union officials;

  • Immediately resume CBA negotiations;

  • Regularize contractual employees; 


Things you can do to support the NXP 24:

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