[Dispersal of workers’ strike, denied] KMU hails dismissal of hardware king’s TRO plea

Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno hailed the dismissal last Wednesday of Co Ban Kiat Hardware Inc.’s plea to a Regional Trial Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the strike of the company’s workers, saying the plea is a desperate attempt to disperse the strike of workers asserting their demands.

The Parañaque RTC dismissed the management’s request on the basic ground that the court has no jurisdiction over labor disputes.

On May 28, big capitalist Johnny Cobankiat, president and main supplier of ACE Hardware and other companies, and an alleged big-time smuggler, asked the Parañaque RTC to issue a 72-hour TRO and a writ of preliminary injuction.

The said injunction shall restrain workers from continuing to hold their strike, direct the workers to pay P1 million in damages, and instruct the Southern Police District and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) to implement the TRO and injuction.

“We are happy with the immediate and favorable decision of the Parañaque RTC on the Co Ban Kiat labor dispute. The court made the correct decision of siding with the aggrieved workers,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“Johnny Cobankiat is an example of a cruel, profit-greedy capitalist. His desperation to crush the workers’ strike so he can resume his unhampered raking of millions by exploiting workers has led him to use deception, harassment, and intimidation with the help of the government,” he said.

The hardware workers, led by the Co Ban Kiat Warehouse Wokers’ Union (CBKWWU), have been on strike since May 23 to assert the recognition and implementation of the memorandum of agreement signed between the union and the management stating the reinstatement of illegally dismissed workers, regularization of contractuals, and recognition of the workers’ union.

The Co Ban Kiat management also tried to cause a commotion in the strike to give a the police a pretext to intervene and disperse the strike. It bribed and forced workers to go against their co-workers by crossing the picketline. It also presented a fake court order to deceive the workers into ending their strike.

“We condemn the Parañaque police for conniving with the Co Ban Kiat management in harassing and trying to intimidate the workers. It is Johnny Cobankiat who’s the ciminal in this case, not the workers,” added Labog.

“The workers’ unity and determination to fight for their rights to unionize, job security, decent wages, and decent working conditions have been getting stronger despite Co Ban Kiat’s desperate attempts to crush their strike,” said Labog.

“We are calling everyone to support the workers’ strike – to visit the workers’ picketline, give financial support, boycott ACE Hardware, and spread the workers’ calls,” he added.

The Co Ban Kiat workers’ picketline is located in front of Co Ban Kiat warehouse at 555 Quirino Ave., Tambo, Parañaque City.