Workers condemn Nestle on 100th year in PH

The face of multinational exploitation, repression of PH workers
 

Metro Manila

 

May 27, 2011

 

■   Remember Ka Fort, slain Nestle union president

 

■   Tribute to Ka Fort at UP Church of the Risen Lord

 

■   Luksang Parangal kay Ka Fort

 

 

 

 

     

Photos of the day-long protest vs. Nestle Phils 100th year of exploitation and terror

against workers and people. Led by Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan-KMU.

   
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Photos courtesy of Kilusang Mayo Uno
           
     

 

Media Release
27 May 2011

 The face of multinational exploitation, repression of PH workers
Workers condemn Nestle on 100th year in PH
On the 100th anniversary of the multinational food giant in the Philippines, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned Nestle for attacking workers’ rights, calling the corporation “the face of multinational exploitation and repression of Filipino workers.”

KMU said Nestle workers have been engaged in a long-drawn-out struggle with the multinational corporation, with Nestle’s refusal to include workers’ retirement benefits as agenda in negotiations for Collective Bargaining Agrement causing a workers’ strike in 2002.

The nine-year strike has resulted in the following: 48 workers dead, two union presidents assassinated, most of the workers’ children stopped schooling, 78% of workers’ houses forfeited, and 250 workers criminally charged.

“Without a doubt, Nestle is the face of multinational corporations’ exploitation and repression of Filipino workers. Despite its well-funded campaign to hide its crimes from the public’s view, the Filipino workers and people who are in the know persist in remembering its crimes and making it pay for these,” said Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general.

“Nestle’s media campaigns are a proof of its cruelty to workers. It can pour huge amounts of money into boxing out news of its wrongdoings from the mainstream media and into repeatedly playing its feel-good TV ads but it has refused to allot even a meager amount for settling its dispute with its workers,” Soluta added.

“We call on the Filipino workers and people to boycott all Nestle products. There is indeed blood in your coffee, chocolate drink, ice cream and others: the multinational giant has been accused, and for good reason, of masterminding the assassination of two presidents of the Nestle workers’ union while the latter are engaged in a struggle with the company,” Soluta said. ►

Picket at the DOLE office

The Supreme Court has issued three decisions favoring Nestle workers in the cases that they filed against the food giant, which the latter has simply refused to implement.

“Nestle is a clear illustration of how arrogant multinational corporations in the country can get. It gives the Filipino workers and people a reason to craft alternatives that confiscate multinationals’ properties in the country and that shun reliance on multinationals for employment opportunities,” Soluta said.

Reference: Roger Soluta, KMU secretary-general, 0928-7215313

 
           
     
 

Picket at the main office of NESTLE at Rockwell

  
     
           
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▼  Picket at the Mall of Asia and harrassment by guards ▼

 

 

Migrante Middle East

on Friday, May 27, 2011 at 11:25pm
Press Release
28 May 2011

 In support to Nestle workers’ struggle
Migrant group to boycott Nestle products, urges dependents to do the same
An overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) group in the Middle East Saturday said it will be supporting a campaign staged by the local workers of Nestle in the Philippines by urging OFWs and their dependents to boycott Nestle products.

“The struggle of Filipino workers in Nestle deserves support by the entire working class and Filipino people including overseas workers who both have been victim of exploitation and repression by multinational and transnational corporations like Nestle,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator.

Monterona said it had been known that Nestle workers were defending their legitimate demands such as retirement benefits, rightful wages, among others, when Nestle Philippines refused to include such demands on their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), thus the workers have left no other options than to stage a strike in 2002.

“Instead of acceding to the legitimate demands of the workers despite court rulings in favor of the workers, Nestle went into rampage by attacking and persecuting the leaders of the local union under the banner of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Movement),” Monterona added.

Citing KMU’s records, since 2002 there were 48 workers dead, two union presidents assassinated, most of the workers’ children stopped schooling, 78% of workers’ houses forfeited, and 250 workers criminally charged.

“We can’t allow Nestle to keep on degrading our workers and their rights trampled by terrorizing the leaders and members of the local workers union. The entire working class and the Filipino people must join in boycotting Nestle products,” Monterona averred.

Monterona said as a concrete support to Nestle workers’ struggle, chapters of Migrante in the Middle East will pass a resolution that calls for boycott of all Nestle products. “Our officers, members and networks of OFWs, supporters and friends will urge their dependents in the Philippines to do the same,” Monterona added.

Monterona said about 50% of individual OFW remittance is spent for food and other goods needed for their daily consumption.

“Instead of buying Nestle products which are tainted with our workers’ blood, we urge our fellow OFWs and their dependents in the Philippines to patronize products or goods made by other food corporations that recognize the legitimate rights and demands of our workers,” Monterona concluded. # # #


Link of Nestle product lists, to boycott: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nestl%C3%A9_brands

Reference:
John Leonard Monterona
Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator
Mobile No.00966535921228
     
     
     
           
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