Due 2 non-implemntatn of 3 wage inc ordrs,below min wage pays dspyt 40 yrs of srvc; Trmin8d Kowloon fudchain wrkrs launch strike

Workers at Kowloon West – West Avenue main branch have been demanding for their rightful wage hike for two years now. The management refuses to implement the NCR Regional Wage Board's (RWB) Wage Order no. 12 (July '06) amounting to a P50 pay increase, WO no. 13 (Aug. '07) amounting to P12, and WO no. 14 (June '08), amounting to P20. If these will be multiplied to the 120 Kowloon workers, their total back pay would amount to P698,880.

The Kowloon management, Mr. Paul Ng's Katipunan Food Services Inc, says the company is experiencing profit losses so they cannot comply yet to the wage orders. However, they have also bragged that they can sell 7,000 siopaos a day, among other products. Their siopao costs P47. If so, the workers' total back wages can be paid by only two days of siopao sales.

Due to this wage freeze, those who have been working with the company for nearly 40 years only get a below-minum wage pay of P377.

After tireless and unfruitful dialogues, the workers held a protest action last June, outside duty hours and not blocking the restaurant operations, to insist on getting their share.

The management replied by charging them with illegal 'strike' at the National Labor Relations Commission, and illegal assembly at the regional trial court. Last Saturday, 73 workers were prevented by the guard to come in to work, with their names in a list of termination order by the company.

Today, after due legal processes, the workers lauched a real strike.

"After years of exploiting our time and strength, and refusing to give a very measly wage adjustment, they have no right to terminate us just like that," said Kowloon Union President Edmund Navarosa.

Navarosa also slammed the management for bribing some of them to leave the union and abandon the strike.

He also reported that the management has temporarily hired some employees from their other restaurants to continue the opoerations of Kowloon. The customers, however, complain about the change of taste in their food orders.

"This proves that the workers are the real creators of wealth and value for our capitalist owners. We have worked almost all our lives for Kowloon and have established its name, but we were repaid with exploitation and repression," Navarosa said.

Kowloon is a pioneer member of the Glowrhain Federation (Genuine Labor Organization of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries) under KMU.

Glowrhain Vice President Roger Soluta commented that "The Kowloon case is an example of the many cases of non-compliance with the bogus wage by the RWBs. It strengthens our call to abolish the wage boards for they have just been instruments to deceive the workers, and evade the legislated P125 wage hike.

"We also call for the repeal of Labor Code amendments and Republic Acts that legalize the unruly mass lay-offs and union bustings," Soluta said.