Kawasaki labor union says strike is legal
In its manifesto, KULU said that 'there is nothing in the Labor Code that prohibits and prevents the Pilipino working man from declaring a strike on CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) negotiations deadlock.'
'The right to strike on ground of CBA Negotiations deadlock is their constitutional right,' the union said in its manifesto filed on July 4.
GMA News Online has reached out to the Kawasaki Motors Philippines Corporation (KMPC) for comment, but it has yet to reply as of posting time.
KULU filed the manifestation in response to the complaint lodged before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) by KMPC, asking for the union's ongoing strike to be declared illegal.
The KMPC said that the action violates the 'No Strike, No Lockout' clause of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which was signed by both parties in May 2022.
In response, KULU said that the 'No Strike, No Lockout' provision was effective during the lifetime of the CBA which is from July 1, 2021 until June 30, 2024.
In its statement, the labor union said it took them 11 months after the expiration of the earlier CBA before it launched a strike.
'Obviously there is no CBA provision violated,' KULU said
According to the KMPC, the disagreement revolves around economic provisions that remain under active negotiation, saying that it was not grounds for a "valid strike."
Kawasaki also claims that the strike has resulted in significant operational disruptions, loss of business opportunities, and reputational damage.
Kawasaki said that it remains open to negotiations with KULU, offering a 5% salary increase as the firm continues to recover from pandemic-related financial losses. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
Airport workers, others seek SC help vs. NAIA concession agreement
Partido Lakas ng Masa national president Leody de Guzman with Atty. Kit Belmonte during the filing of a petition asking the Supreme Court to declare the NAIA PPP Project as unconstitutional. Photo by Joahna Lei Casilao, GMA Integrated News Airport workers, civic organizations, and non-government groups on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project as unconstitutional due to the increase of airport-related fees. Through the PPP project, the management of the airport was transferred to the San Miguel-led New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC). In their 37-page petition, they also asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction to prevent the respondents from enforcing the Manila International Airport Authority Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2024, which granted NNIC charge and collect airport-related fees. The petitioners also asked the SC to declare the said MIAA administrative order unconstitutional, illegal, void, and of no effect. 'Kapag hindi na nakaya ng kanilang mga kumpanya ang mga upa diyan, magbabawas ng tao diyan. 'Yan ang cause and effect niyan,' petitioner and Pagkakaisa ng mga Users, Stakeholders, at Obrero ng NAIA or PUSO ng NAIA head secretariat Romeo Sauler said. (When their companies can no longer afford the rent there, they will reduce their workforce there. That is the cause and effect of it.) Sauler believes that even the public will be affected by the project. 'Definitely,' he said. MRO providers 'Saan babawiin ng mga airline companies or mga MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul services) provider 'yang kanilang babayad sa upa. Di ba? So kami, ang sa amin, hindi lang ito para sa mga manggagawa o negosyo na nasa paligid ng airport kung hindi sa mamamayang Pilipino in general,' he added. (Where will the airline companies or MRO providers recover what they pay for rent? So for us, this is not just for the workers or businesses around the airport but for the Filipino people in general.) Terminal fee According to the petitioners, the domestic passenger service charge or terminal fee is expected to increase from P200 to 390 while the international passenger service charge is expected to increase from P550 to P950. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- GMA Network
DOLE issues pay rules for August holidays
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday reminded employers of the proper compensation for workers reporting for duty on Ninoy Aquino Day and National Heroes Day. According to Labor Advisory No. 11 series of 2025, the following pay rules shall apply for August 21 (Ninoy Aquino Day), and August 25 (National Heroes Day), which are respectively a special non-working holiday and a regular holiday: August 21 (Ninoy Aquino Day), special non-working day: If the employee does not work, the "no work, no pay" principle shall apply unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment on a special day; For work done during the special day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30% of the basic wage on the first eight hours of work (Basic wage x 130%); For work done in excess of eight hours, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30% of the hourly rate on said day (Hourly rate of the basic wage x 130% x 130% x number of hours worked); For work done during the special day that also falls on the employee's rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 50% of the basic wage on the first eight hours of work (Basic wage x 150%); and For work done in excess of eight hours during the special day that also falls on the employee's rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30% of the hourly rate on said day (Hourly rate of the basic wage x 150% x 130% x number of hours worked). August 25 (National Heroes Day), regular holiday: If the employee does not work, the employer shall pay 100% of the employee's wage for that day, provided that the employee reports to work or is on leave of absence with pay on the day immediately preceding the regular holiday. Where the day immediately preceding the regular holiday is a non-working day in the establishment or the scheduled rest day of the employee, he or she shall be entitled to holiday pay if the employee reports to work or is on leave of absence with pay on the day immediately preceding the non-working day or rest day (Basic wage x 100%); For work done during the regular holiday, the employer shall pay a total of 200% of the employee's wage for that day for the first eight hours (Basic wage x 200%); For work done in excess of eight hours, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30% of the hourly rate on said day (Hourly rate of the basic wage x 200% x 130% x number of hours worked); For work done during a regular holiday that also falls on the employee's rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30% of the basic wage of 200% (Basic wage x 200% x 130%); and For work done in excess of eight hours during a regular holiday that also falls on the employee's rest day, the employer shall pay the employee an additional 30% of the hourly rate on said day (Hourly rate of the basic wage x 200% × 130% x 130% x number of hours worked). In October 2024, Malacañang issued the list of regular and special non-working holidays for the year 2025. — Sundy Locus/BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
08-08-2025
- GMA Network
Kawasaki files lockout notice vs. over 200 workers; union to respond
Kawasaki Motors Philippines Corp. has filed a Notice of Lockout against 289 rank-and-file union workers for allegedly committing unfair labor practices over their ''illegal strike.'' In the Notice of Lockout filed before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), Kawasaki said the union workers had supposedly violated the 'No Strike/No Lockout' clause of the collective bargaining agreement in 2022, which was signed by the management and the union. In a statement, Kawasaki United Labor Union (KULU) said it is awaiting response from its legal team concerning the Notice of Lockout filed by Kawasaki, 'pero kampante tayo at alam naman natin kung ano ang katotohanan at kasagutan sa mga bagong isyu na naman ng management.' Further, Kawasaki said the union workers have supposedly boycotted three company-sanctioned activities last year, which include the anniversary celebration last July 24 and Sportsfest last June 15 as well as the mandatory overtime to catch up on production which was announced last April 30, 2025. Atty. John Bonifacio, external counsel of Kawasaki, said that boycotting company-sanctioned activities and violation of the 'No Strike/No Lockout' clause of the CBA constitute unfair labor practice on the part of the workers, which can be used as grounds for the filing of the Notice of Lockout. ''We have exhausted all legal means possible to convince union workers to accept our offer and return to work, because they are disrupting operations, but to no avail,' Bonifacio said in a press release. Kawasaki had claimed that the strike had resulted in significant operational disruptions, loss of business opportunities, and reputational damage. Kawasaki said that it remains open to negotiations with KULU, offering a 5% salary increase as the firm continues to recover from pandemic-related financial losses. Earlier, KULU filed a manifestation before the Department of Labor and Employment-National Conciliation and Mediation Board, saying that its strike, launched in May, was legal.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
