MARIVELES, Bataan — The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan on Thursday announced the settlement of issues between labor and management of a factory in the Freeport Area of Bataan here and resulted to work resumption.
AFAB information officer Hazel Keith Ellorin said the authority immediately conducted a dialogue where AFAB administrator Emmanuel Pineda heard the sides of both the workers and management of FCF Manufacturing Corp.
FCF is a Hongkong company producing luxury handbags and small leather goods since 2012 exported to North America, Asia and Europe.
Mariveles police chief Lt. Col. Cesar Lumiwes reported that more or less 1,000 FCF employees conducted noise barrage in the factory premises on Wednesday afternoon demanding settlement of delayed payment of wages and non-remittances of contributions to the Social Security System.
Lumiwes said that a police team was on standby in the vicinity for monitoring.
Ellorin said AFAB impressed on the workers that it understood their plight but that safety protocols should be followed in view of the ongoing pandemic.
“Nawa ay maunawaan din ng lahat na bagama’t may karapatan tayong magpahayag ay may pananagutan at responsibilidad din tayo sa pagpapanatili ng kaligtasan ng lahat sa gitna ng pandemyang ating kinakaharap,” she said.
Ellorin said FCF began paying the workers their delayed salaries on Thursday. She said there is a pending collective bargaining agreement with the Department of Labor and Employment.
“Kaugnay nito, isinasagawa na ng AFAB ang mga nararapat na hakbang upang matugunan ng FCF management ang mga katanungan ng mga manggagawa nito para sa mabilis at mapayapang pagkakaroon ng resolusyon ukol sa insidenteng naganap noong Miyerkules,” she said.
“Sa kabila ng mga pagsubok na idinudulot ng pandemya sa ating komunidad, malaking bahagi ng ating pagkakaroon ng pag-asa ang payapang patrabahuhan at komunidad sa FAB. Sa pagtutulungan ng AFAB, locators at mga manggagawa, panatilihin po natin ito,” Ellorin quoted the appeal of FAB administrator Pineda.
