Workers of Kowloon House West on West Avenue, Quezon City expressed alarm over the recent announcement by Katipunan Food Services Inc (KFSI) that it no longer owns the restaurant in the said area. The Kowloon House signage mounted above the restaurant was taken down on March 14 and replaced with the name of another business. KFSI abruptly banned any union activity or protest in front of the building, claiming the establishment was no longer its property.

KFSI carried out these actions amid a deadlock in negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the Genuine Labor Organization of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant, and Allied Industries–KMU–Kowloon House West Chapter (GLOWHRAIN-KMU-KHWC) and the restaurant management.

According to the union, these dubious and vague actions seriously threaten the workplace, the workers’ job security, and their rights to assembly and expression.

“These actions raise many serious questions… taken without serious investigation and without providing the union the necessary documents required under the CBA,” union president Bernard Dimaunahan said.

Dimaunahan also considered the company’s move as a retaliation against the workers—an outright attempt to evade accountability and suppress workers’ rights. The union had filed a Notice of Strike with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on March 6 to defend the CBA and protest the cases of harassment against them.

Negotiations for the new CBA between the union and KFSI management were supposed to start as early as August 2025 but only began in January. KFSI offered only a ₱10/day wage increase in the talks—far from the union’s demand of only ₱35/day, already a compromised reduction from its original ₱50/day call. The union rejected KFSI’s pretext of operating at a loss to justify a low offering.

Meanwhile, KFSI representatives did not appear at the DOLE-summoned negotiation on March 12 in relation to the union’s strike notice. According to the union, instead of facing the workers, the company repeatedly changed its lawyers and representatives in the negotiations. KFSI also reportedly hired “third-party HR managers” or consultants to avoid direct negotiations with the union.

The union declared its readiness for the possibility of launching a strike, as resolute as their historic 2008 strike for their rights. It called on fellow workers and the public to stand in solidarity and support the struggle of the Kowloon workers.