Cenapro Workers Set to Stage Labor Strike

Workers of Cenapro Chemicals in Jagobiao, Mandaue City are set to stage a labor strike next week against their management due to union busting and other related labor unfair practices,

The strike will jeopardize the P2 million worth of daily export sales of the company, according to the workers.

In an emailed communication, Arle Tigley, president of the 30 Cenapro Chemicals Employees Association (CCEA) said they could no longer bear the pain and inhumane treatment of the company management.

Tigley said during their recent meeting inside the Cenapro plant, they plead to the management to stop from forcing them to work overtime. They also plead to stop the company’s union busting but the management did not heed their call, he said.

He explained that this action signifies the willingness of the workers to paralyze the company production.

Tigley said the 30 CCEA union members who are affiliated with ANGLO-Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), although small in size, are all operators of CENAPRO’s main production machines so they are confident that production will be be much affected once the strike commences.

He said the more than 100 workers are contractuals and non-union members, and they are working only as helpers in the production line and in the warehouse. He also stressed the Cenapro plant processed activated carbon with the use of charcoal as raw materials through the use of giant machine which will crashed, cooled, then burning it again in the giant oven before refining it.

Tigley said Cenapro’s Japanese affiliate, Kuraray Chemical Company in Japan which holds 35% of CENAPRO’s stock holdings, will be the most likely affected.

Since 1975, Kuraray had been absorbing the bulk of Cenapro’s chemical production until at present.

Last August 1, 2014 the CCEA union filed a notice of strike due to union busting and unfair labor practices.

The union demanded the management to end from enforcing the workers to force overtime and multi-tasking. The union, at the same time, asked the resumption of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) which was unilaterally suspended by the CENAPRO management.

They also wanted to stop the impending termination of their union president and asked for the regularization of all contractual workers.

Exhausted All Means

Tigley said they have exhausted all means to air their demands but the Cenapro management never adhered all their grievances. He said the company illegally suspended their union officers, disapproved application for union members’ leave and converted regular workers as confidential employees.

Tigley said the last straw that pushes their filing of the notice of strike was the series of attacks made by the CENAPRO management against them within a 2 -week period.

Last July 16, 2014 the workers conducted a protest action and candle lighting in front of the company’s plant, demanding among others to respect their rights by not forcing them to work 16 straight hours daily.

The Cenapro workers are exposed to black dust from the giant crashers, extreme heat from the giant oven that burns charcoal including chemicals of hydroclauric acid putting all of them to big risks.

Tigley said that following their protest actions, the management suspended their on -going CBA, and charged one of their union president for insubordination.

The president only took a rest due to over fatigue, he added.

The management also asked the court of appeals to terminate the 17 union members who led their earlier protest rally which, Tigley said really demoralized their members.

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