Led by the Kowloon House West Chapter (KHWC) of the Genuine Labor Organization of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant, and Allied Industries–Kilusang Mayo Uno (Glowhrain-KMU), Kowloon House West workers protested outside its restaurant on West Avenue, Quezon City on March 6. They denounced the restaurant management’s extremely low wage offer that resulted in a deadlock in collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.

The management of the restaurant, Katipunan Food Services Inc. (KFSI), offered a mere ₱10 daily wage increase at the sixth round of negotiations on March 4. The union initially demanded a ₱50 daily increase but compromised by lowering its demand to ₱35.

The union denounced KFSI’s low offer which it said is because the restaurant is incurring losses. The union said that based on the production of just three of its main products—siopao, siomai, and wanton—KFSI earned ₱25 million over two years and was even able to build new outlets.

Workers also complained that the company failed to implement agreed wage increases in previous CBAs. The total unpaid wages have reached an estimated ₱5.5 million over three years.

The company also withheld around half a million pesos in service charge collections intended for the union during the same period. KFSI also refused to release its financial reports, invoking an alleged “management dispute” or the ongoing conflict among the children and siblings of the company’s deceased owner.

The union’s negotiations for a new CBA with KFSI management should have started as early as August 2025. These began only in January after workers’ relentless protests.

Since 2025, the union and its members have faced repression from KFSI management, which imposed successive cases and sanctions against union officers and members. Workers fought by filing formal complaints with the Department of Labor and Employment and holding protests.

“The deadlock declaration exposes the clear class conflict between workers and the exploitative capitalists,” the KHWC-Glowhrain-KMU stated. The union remains determined to continue its struggle for higher wages, benefits, and other labor rights.

Meanwhile, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chairperson Ka Jerome Adonis joined the protest to show support. The Wyeth Philippines Progressive Workers Union, part of the KMU federation Drug Foods and Allied Workers Federation, also expressed solidarity with the Kowloon workers’ struggle.