Plano ng Regent Foods Corporation (RFC) na mag-relocate matapos panigan ni Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto ang mga sinampahang manggagawa dahil sa ikinasang labor protest noong November 9.
Umapela si Sotto na bawiin ang isinampang kaso ng kumpanya laban sa 23 manggagawa na naaresto matapos ang protesta.
Sa inilabas na pahayag sa kanilang Facebook page, inihayag ng kampanya na nirerespeto nila ang pahayag ng alkalde at maging ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa na magdaos ng mapayapang protesta.
“Regent Foods Corp. (RFC) respects the sentiments of our good Mayor, inasmuch as it also respects the rights of its workers to hold a peaceful strike. However, it must be remembered that these rights presuppose that the strike was first peaceful and that it was carried out within the bounds of the law,” ayon sa food firm.
Ngunit, sinabi ng kumpanya na nabigo si Sotto na pakinggan ang kanilang panig.
Taliwas sa binanggit ni Sotto, iginiit ng RFC na hindi naging mapayapa ang pagkakasa ng protesta ng mga manggagawa sa labas ng planta ng food firm noong November 9.
“Unfortunately, contrary to how Mayor Vico depicts the situation, the strike involved here was never legitimate and never peaceful, and up until it was dispersed, it was exercised in violation of RFC’s own rights, as well as the rights of other people,” pahayag ng kumpanya.
Nakikipag-dayalogo naman anila sila sa kanilang workforce ukol sa lahat ng usapin ukol sa kumpanya.
Humingi rin anila sila ng tulong sa lokal na pamahalaan, maging sa opisina ni Sotto para mapahupa ang tensyon sa nangyaring protesta.
“Despite all of this, Mayor Vico still portrays RFC as an evil corporation ready to “put poor and powerless people to jail”. Mayor Vico deliberately overlooks that RFC is not the complainant who pressed these criminal charges, RFC did not order their arrest, and RFC did not even participate in the preliminary investigation of these individuals. Worse still, Mayor Vico has cast RFC as anti-labor. But, the truth is, RFC only meant to protect the rights of its non-striking employees who were prevented by the strikers from working and providing for their own families,” giit pa ng kumpanya.
Sa kabila nito, nanindigan ang food firm sa kanilang posisyon at hindi natatakot sa anumang banta ni Sotto.
Naniniwala rin ang kumpanya sa justice system ng bansa.
Narito ang buong pahayag ng RFC:
