New layoffs in Nexperia. Nexperia Workers Philippines Inc. Workers Union (NWPIWU)-NAFLU-KMU condemned Nexperia Philippines for the new round of layoffs planned for April to September. The company notified the union on March 4 of a nearly two-week shutdown in one of its areas and the retrenchment of 53 workers. The company warned this is just the first in a possible series of layoffs. Nexperia’s planned mass layoff violates the conditions in its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the union. The union is currently negotiating for its 2024-2026 CBA.

PUP janitors demand benefits. Janitors and members of the Samahan ng Janitorial (SJ), Anakbayan members and students staged a picket before the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Santa Mesa, Manila on March 13 to demand payment of delayed benefits of the janitors from Starcom Manpower Agency. The protest was held during a dialogue between workers and agency representatives. The janitors already communicated their grievances last year to the PUP administraion and the agency over unpaid incentives, 13th month pay, retroactive pay, and about the lack of transparency in their wages.

National Day of Remembrance for Migrants. Migrante members protested before the Department of Migarant Workers (DMW) on March 17 as part of their commemoration of the National Migrant Remembrance Day. Meanwhile, overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia picketed to demand the hard-earned wages and benefits that have yet to be paid since they were laid off in 2016 in that country. According to the DMW, there up to 9,000 such workers.