OPINION
Tinig Migrante
By E. Maestro
There is a growing call to
boycott NutriAsia products from
ordinary consumers, to progressive
organizations, human rights activists,
teachers, church people, the urban
poor communities, netizens in the
Philippines and outside. You may
not know NutriAsia but you will know
many of its products. These are the
Pinoy popular condiments sold in
many Filipino stores and found in
Filipino kitchens.
You know these brands. Mang
Tomas lechon sauce. Silver Swan soy
sauce. UFC banana ketchup. Datu
Puti soy sauce and vinegar. Jufran.
Locally. Golden Fiesta. Open your
kitchen cupboard and you probably
have some of these in there.
The calls for boycott are over
NutriAsia’s violation of labour rights
and standards, its treatment of their
workers, and the violent protest
dispersals of the workers’ picketline
by company security personnel and
the Philippine National Police. The
strike of the NutriAsia workers got
more international attention when the
photo of the bloodied face of Leticia
Retiza, the injured grandmother at the
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY August 16 - 31, 2018
Leticia Retiza , Datu Puti and Mang Tomas
picket line went viral. Leticia was
supporting the picket line last July
30 when the attacks came from the
police and company security. Nanay
Leticia suffered a fractured skull and a
broken nose.
The men and women workers
under the United Workers of
NutriAsia-Marilao have been on strike
since the beginning of June. They
are protesting the termination of
50 workers and the dismissal of five
union leaders and members. They are
also demanding regularization and an
end to contractualization, for decent
wages, better working conditions and
the right to join and stay in a union.
Since the strike began on June 2,
the workers in the picket line have
been harassed and attacked several
times. The workers at NutriAsia, like
other workers, do not go on strike
on a whim; these workers stand on
just, legal and righteous grounds to
demand and defend their rights as
workers.
The workers of NutriAsia earn
meager daily wages of P380 (USD$ 7).
Only 100 out of 1,400 are considered
regular permanent workers and the rest
are contractual workers, regardless of
their having worked in NutriAsia for
many years. At least 914 workers of
NutriAsia are under contract to three
sub-contractors or agencies and have
not been regularized.
NutriAsia Inc is a the multi-million
dollar company based in Bulacan
and owned by Filipino businessman
Joselito Campos. It is the Philippines’
largest condiment manufacturer
with at least P16.8 B (USD$320M) in
total assets. It distributes and sells its
condiment products in the Canada
and US, Europe, Middle East, and
Asia-Pacific. NutriAsia is a highly
profitable company and earns as
much as P27 million (over $500,000)
per day!
Leticia at the hospital; Leticia
NutriAsia has been found to be at the July 30 picket line from
non-compliant with occupational Facebook
health and safety standards and has
failed to give regular employment to
914 of its workers.
The workers of NutriAsia
continue their strike at great risk and
at great sacrifice. These workers need
our support and solidarity. While we
cannot join the picket line like Nanay
Leticia, we can certainly take the tiniest
form of resistance against NutriAsia
by saying “No” to Mang Tomas and
Datu Puti. And to the other “bloody”
brands of NutriAsia.
We can certainly survive without
Datu Puti and Mang Tomas.###
Hundreds of Church Of Christ Volunteers across Canada
Swiftly Fill Need of Canadian Blood Services
Toronto, Canada – Hundreds
of members of the international
religious organization Iglesia Ni
Cristo (Church Of Christ) across
Canada are eagerly answering the
call of the Canadian Blood Services
(CBS) who put out an urgent call
for 22,000 blood donors by August
26.
Even as British Columbia
declares a state of emergency due
to wildfires across the province,
hundreds of Church volunteers in
the region remain still committed
to donating blood.
C
B
S
donation centers CONT NEXT PAGE
Book now and fly any time between February 07, 2019 to May 30, 2019
Round Trip Vancouver - Manila from $795.00 CAD
Limited time promotion, prices are subject availability & can change without any notice!
BONUS! On request we will included on the price AD & D Insurance or one free box
1 night Seattle + 1 Night Coastal Cruise
Vancouver Departure : September 22 & 23, 2018
Emerald Princess: f rom 278.00 CAD /person & MS Zaandam: from 238.00 CAD /person
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As Travel Insurance Brokers w e offer Trip Cancellation & Interruption ,
Visitors Visa, Super Visa and Canada/World Medical Plans
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All your travel are protected by our Consumer Protection BC License 54565
Join Amigos Travel Team & become a Certified Travel Consultant!
Office: 604-630-8138 www.AmigosTravel.ca Email: [email protected]
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM