Gabriela and Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan mounted a picket-rally in front of SM Manila to condemn the widespread implementation of “endo” (end-of-contract) in the company.

They called for an inquiry on the consignment scheme implemented by the SM Retail Inc. to circumvent its legal obligations to workers. Under this scheme, SM hires contractual workers, but passes the burden of paying salary and benefit to third-party agencies called consigners. A similar protest was simultaneously conducted in front of SM Cebu by GABRIELA-Cebu.

Last November 13, Workers of SMT-Philippines from Laguna trooped to the headquarters of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Intramuros, Manila. They conducted a noise barrage to condemn DOLE’s inaction in the face of the illegal lockout and food blockade in the company.

Members of the Nexperia Inc. Workers Union NAFLU-KMU conducted a similar protest in Laguna last November 17 to demand the scrapping of the scheme requiring them to explain absentism even during holidays. This was used by the management to dismiss union officers from the company in 2014.

Meanwhile, the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) conducted a protest along Agham Road on November 18 to oppose the continuing price hikes and call for the scrapping junk the regime’s TRAIN law. The group said that workers’ wages have remained extremely low in the face of incessant increases in the prices of basic commodities. It also condemned the demolition threat against urban poor communities to pave the way for the construction of business and corporate establishments.