Pacific Plaza union asks Taguig RTC not to issue TRO against their strike

BESIEGED members of the Pacific Plaza United Action of Labor-Solidarity of Unions in the Philippines for Empowerment and Reforms (Punyal-Super Federation) asked on Wednesday the Regional Trial Court in Taguig (RTC) to block the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) filed by “management toadies” against their ongoing labor action.

The union said the petition for the release of a TRO and mandamus filed by three homeowners of the Pacific Plaza Towers (PPT) condominium at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig against their dispute only aims to curtail their legitimate right to strike.

The labor union said the appeal of the residents, namely Antonio Cuyegkeng, Julian Carmona and Maria Lourdes Kristen Quintos enumerated grounds against the strike that were akin to an earlier TRO petition filed by PPT Corp. before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC). The latter was subsequently dismissed by the labor tribunal after finding the strike to be totally harmless.

On December 12 the homeowners filed their petition to the Taguig RTC Branch 271, criticizing the workers for allegedly “violating the clear rights” of the residents.

Their appeal included over-thetop words against the laborers, such as putting residents in “imminent peril” and “mortal danger.”

“These petitioners are confidently swimming in their greed and entitlements,” said Luke Espiritu, president of Super Federation and concurrent president of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino.

“The privileged class feels allergic whenever workers assert their right to a dignified life through having job security, fair wages and the right to form a union. Workers do not intend to threaten residents; they are merely seeking what was [taken from] them,” he added.

Union President Cris Rafales likened the three petitioners to a possum and management minions unleashed to undermine the workers’ right to strike.

He said that since the PPT management cannot gain a TRO from NLRC and file the same in other courts, they used the homeowners to stop their labor strike.

Rafales opined that the Taguig RTC should not entertain such “harassment suit” against the union because it will only worsen the disagreement in PPT instead of resolving it.

“Both workers and homeowners want a merry Christmas,” he said. “But what management wants for its workers and their families is a bleak Christmas as they bask in greed and gluttony.”

The strike at PPT condo started in the first week of August, and since then, has not been resolved due to the management’s failure to recognize half of its work force as regular employees who should be accorded the same rights and benefits.