The hashtag #BoycottNutriAsia was trending on Philippine Twitter as recently as the morning following the violent dispersal of the striking workers in its Marilao, Bulacan plant yesterday.
NutriAsia is a food company that produces popular Filipino products like condiment brand Datu Puti, UFC banana ketchup, and lechon sauce Mang Tomas. Its workers have been on strike for about two months in protest of allegedly unfair labor practices.
Earlier this month, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) found that NutriAsia was involved in labor-only contracting, an illegal practice done by companies to avoid providing their workers with benefits.
DOLE ordered NutriAsia to “regularize” 80 workers from one of its contracting agencies, which the company said it will appeal.
What sparked netizens’ anger was the violent way guards and police dispersed yesterdays protesters. According to GMA News, about 20 people were arrested while at least 30 from both sides of the clash were hurt.
Activist Renato Reyes called the violent dispersal “unprovoked and unnecessary.”
1. The violent dispersal was unprovoked and unnecessary. NutriAsia and the PNP are lying.
2. The workers' fight for regularization is just. Contractualization should stop.
3. 19 were arrested in the dispersal.
4. #BoycottNutriAsia. Support the just demands of the workers.— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) July 31, 2018
Columnist Tonyo Cruz gave a rundown of NutriAsia’s products he plans to say “goodbye” to.
Goodbye Datu Puti
Goodbye Silver Swan
Goodbye Mang Tomas
Goodbye UFC
Goodbye Papa Ketchup
Goodbye Golden Fiesta
Goodbye Locally#BoycottNutriAsia— Tonyo Cruz (@tonyocruz) July 30, 2018
Twitter user @Biboyism101 said: “The violent dispersal of at the picket of striking NutriAsia workers only shows how this government treats its human resource. Instead of protecting our workers, this government became a tool for repressing the workers rights to protest.”
The violent dispersal of at the picket of striking NutriAsia workers only shows how this government treats its human resource. Instead of protecting our workers, this government became a tool for repressing the workers rights to protest. #BoycottNutriAsia
— BIBOYism (@Biboyism101) July 30, 2018
@JotoBumbong shared photos of people hurt during the incident and tweeted: “THERE IS BLOOD IN YOUR CONDIMENTS! BOYCOTT NUTRIASIA!!!!”
https://twitter.com/JotoBumbong/status/1023884437832925184
However, in a statement released by NutriAsia yesterday, it alleged that the violence started from the protesters.
“[V]iolence erupted when a minority, around 200 striking workers of Toll Packer BMirk and their supporters, fired a shot in the air and started to hurl rocks at police and guards tasked to maintain peace and order in the area,” the statement posted on Facebook reads.
According to the statement, the incident happened at around 2:45pm yesterday just as a DOLE-led mediation meeting with stakeholders and the union organizer was taking place.
NutriAsia also claimed that the strikers’ “aggressive actions” violated the writ of preliminary injunction issued by the Regional Trial Court of Malolos, Bulacan on July 26 which states that the workers’ union and its supporters should “desist and restrain from obstructing the ingress to and egress from the company plant.”
This is not the first time a NutriAsia protest turned violent. In June, a number of protesters were also hurt as police tried to break the picket line.
