0 0

March 21, 2018 shall be remembered in Philippine labor union history as a day that a decisive force of Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines workers in Sta. Rosa, Laguna launched a strike against labor violations by multinational corporation Coca-Cola.

Around 5:30pm today, Coca-Cola workers barricaded Gates 4 and 6 of the Sta. Rosa plant. The barricade faces imminent threat of violent dispersal. Coca-Cola has deployed about 150 security personnel and groups of SWAT. Hundreds of police personnel have also been deployed.

Led by the Liga na Pinalakas ng Manggagawa sa Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines (LPMCCFP) Sta. Rosa Plant in Laguna, around 150 workers staged a strike of outrage against the corporation’s labor malpractices. Last April 2017, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region IV-A ruled in favor of the regularization of 675 contractual workers. However, Coca-Cola up to this day refuses to regularize the said workers, adding to years of its sin of union busting.

Earlier today, DOLE Region IV-A released a writ of execution ordering Coca-Cola to implement the decision. A dialogue has ensued between LPMCCFP union leaders, Coca-Cola Sta. Rosa Plant management, and Mayor Dan Fernandez.

Despite raking in millions of profit from consumer items laboriously produced by workers, Coca-Cola continues with its contractualization of workers, majority of which have patiently served the corporation for a decade and more.

The workers also launched a boycott of Coca-Cola products and called on the people to support their plight.