This report is part of our former “Harmful Cases” documentation, where we continuously and concisely recorded human rights violations, violations of international law or environmental destruction caused by companies.
Corruption and Human Rights Violations in the Philippines
Nine years have gone by since the strike of unionists of Nestlé Philippines has begun and still there is little hope for a resolution of the conflict. In 2008, the Supreme Court has filed its third decision on the issue urging Nestlé to restart negotiations. So far, the company has ignored the court’s ruling, because according to the corporation, the workers are laid off work already since 2002.
Besides the forced termination of work contracts, 48 workers have reportedly died since the beginning of the strike including two union presidents. Most of the workers’ children had been forced to stop schooling, 78 percent of workers’ houses had been forfeited, and 250 workers remained criminally charged for strike-related acts.
The conflict is rooted in the disagreement over the inclusion of retirement benefits in the bargaining process early 2000 which was refused by Nestlé. After a second workers union was established by the company’s board in May 2011, the multinational corporation was awarded the Kapatid Award by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP). The award was meant to honor the company’s “industrial peace and harmony” and its “social accountability”.
Please find more information via the following links:
Multiwatch.ch (de)