The Wyeth Philippines Progressive Workers Union filed a Notice of Strike (NOS) before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board 4-A on May 20. Workers plan to go on strike to demand Wyeth-Nestle to reinstate 145 workers terminated in its factory in Canlubang, Laguna. The company’s plan to lay-off workers first came out in March.

According to the union, 10 union officials including its president, 14 supervisors, a manager and other company employees were told not to work last May 18. The company rationalized the mass lay-off as part of “cost-cutting, automation and production line consolidation.”

Wyeth-Nestle is not losing money, in fact, had earnings of up to ₱5.8 billion in 2021, and pocketed a net income of more than ₱2.7 billion.

Earlier, workers held successive activities to protest the planned lay-off. On May 16, the union held a program after their shift outside the factory. Workers also conducted consecutive mass meetings from May 10 to May 12.