“Labour dispute at Arcya Glass”, 16 December 2020

Symptomatic of the epidemic of labor rights violations during the time of covid-19 is the ongoing labor dispute at Arcya Glass Corp…

Arcya Glass is a factory in an industrial estate in Calamba, Laguna. Some 200 employees, about a dozen of whom are women, were terminated after the firm filed for permanent closure in November 16. However workers are accusing the company of union busting as the factory continues to operate with a reduced workforce. Likewise the Arcya Glass Employees Union, the sole and exclusive bargaining agent for the workers, believes that the company is feigning closure as a way to replace regular workers with contractual employees who will work for less wages and benefits.

Arcya Glass union has set-up a picketline at the factory gates to protest the illegal closure and union busting. The workers are demanding the reopening of the factory, the reinstatement of the fired workers and the opening of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement...