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Dole management refuses to issue position on CBA

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2006/06/28 - 2:14pm
Workers from National Federation of Labor Unions-Kilusang Mayo Uno (NAFLU-KMU) today staged a picket protest in front of Dole Philippines' (DoleFil) Makati office. NAFLU member union, Amado Kadena (Asosasyon ng mga Mamumuo sa Dolefil Alang sa Kalingkawasan ng Demokrasya sa Nasud), the local union of DoleFil workers and employees in Dole's 14,000 hectares plantation, cannery and packaging plant in Polomolok, South Cotabato is now at odds with the management, they're accusing the management of the multinational company of negotiating in bad faith.

Antonio Pascual, NAFLU-KMU Secretary-General, shared that both parties have specified talking points on the CBA negotiation, but when talks actually started, the management nixed these agreed agenda and demanded instead that the union trim down its already modest proposals."

Since April 25 this year when the negotiations for the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) began, the management has consistently failed to reply to some 72 items and CBA provisions presented by the union. "From the first to fifth meetings for CBA negotiations, the management never issued their position on the economic and non-economic provisions of the union's CBA proposal," said Pascual. Salient provisions being ignored by DoleFil management include wage increase and regularization of contractual employees.

"Rather than discuss the DoleFil workers' just demands, the management is trying to take back some benefits that the union and the management had previously agreed upon in past CBAs. DoleFil is unilaterally attempting to take away the workers' paid short breaks and individual break time; management is also trying to hike from 20% to 50% the provision for hiring relievers; they're also trying to take away the workers' rice allowance - these are just some of the management's attempts to slash the DoleFil employees's benefits," Pascual said.

According to its public profile, Dole earned 5870.60 million last year and grew 10.40%. Massive cost-cutting measures including job cuts have reportedly helped boost Dole's worldwide earnings. The company is notorious for its various practices of economic repression in the Philippines , Ecuador , Honduras , El Salvador , Guatemala and other
banana exporting countries.

Dole is the world's largest producer of high-quality fresh fruits, vegetables and cut flowers. In the Philippines , Dole has introduced food products as fresh and packaged fruits. Its product lines range from canned pineapple solids, canned mixed fruits, canned beverages, packaged fruit snacks to tomato sauce.

Dole has been operating in the Philippines for 43 years now. It has been awarded with ISO 14001 Certification in 1999.

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