The SkyCable Supervisors, Professionals/Technical Employees Union (SSPTEU) resolutely stood against a new threat of mass layoffs at SkyCable Corporation, one of the most well-known telecommunications companies in the country. Workers and the union held a picket on June 24 to oppose the layoffs under the company’s third retrenchment program.

According to the union, at least 133 of its members may be dismissed, aside from workers who are not union members. The SSPTEU demands the company’s management to respect the provisions in their collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which ensures job security.

Under the guise of financial difficulties, SkyCable implemented mass layoffs beginning in late 2024. However, after they were dismissed last year, a third-party agency immediately contacted them, upon SkyCable’s recommendation, to continue working as contractual and project-based workers.

“What we have witnessed violates not only the letter, but also the spirit of the [Department of Labor and Employment rules]. This puts workers (affected or not) in a more precarious situation,” SSPTEU stated.

The union added that this can clearly be considered a union-busting tactic. “This sabotages the collective voice of workers who stand for justice and the right to regular work and security of tenure,” said the SSPTEU.

Fellow telecommunications workers expressed support for the union’s struggle. According to the Union Guide for Supervisors in Telecommunications-PLDT, “United, we can strongly fight for job security for Sky Cable workers and show that people are more valuable than business and profit.”

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (Philippines) also supports the struggle of the SSPTEU and the company’s workers. It stated that this issue at SkyCable highlights the silence and inaction of the Marcos regime regarding contractualization. “Contractualization continues to be the norm in workplaces in the country and continues to spread,” the group said.