Group: NutriAsia liable for labor violations

A labor group has accused NutriAsia of violating some labor laws three weeks after its employees held a picket to protest the company’s practice of contractualization or “endo.”

“For workers of the factory, it is no longer just about wages – it is a bigger fight they need to win to regain their dignity as workers after their rights have been trampled upon for so long,” Associated Labor Unions (ALU) spokesman Alan Tanjusay yesterday said.

NutriAsia workers held a strike in their Marilao, Bulacan factory last June 2. They protested the company’s contractualization policy and lack of benefits.

“Nutriasia is trying to renounce and manipulate serious allegations made by employees by pointing responsibility to its manpower service provider, B-Mirk Enterprises Corp.,”

The ALU official said that factory workers should be regular directly hired by NutriAsia management despite being deployed by B-Mirk Enterprises for many years working on the same type of work.

Tanjusay said most of the workers still serve as contractual employees despite working for more than 15 years at the Marilao plant.

Earlier, the company had said that most of the protesters who manned the picket line were not employees but members of the militant groups Kadamay, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Worker Movement for Change and Gabriela.

It added that it would seek legal action because the picket led to damage.

NutriAsia is one of the largest producers of condiments in the country. The company has popular products such as Datu Puti, Golden Fiesta, Jufran, Mang Tomas and UFC.