The Wyeth Philippines Progressive Workers Union (WPPWU-DFA-KMU) condemned the company for its planned “cluster crew” scheme, a flexibilization method that will increase workers’ workload and may cause layoffs.

Wyeth’s pretext is to fill manpower shortages in production to justify the scheme. The union recognized that this will assign them to operate multiple machines or transfer them to different production sections.

Additional hardship and exploitation for workers aside, the WPPWU fears that management intends to use this to hinder union leaders and members from fulfilling their duties and responsibilities in the organization. It said members will have alternating rest days and workdays, which will disrupt their activities.

“This also has the ultimate possibility of layoffs or reductions in our benefits,” the WPPWU declared.

The plan to implement the “cluster crew” emerged while representatives of WPPWU and Wyeth management are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which began in June. The union is negotiating for a ₱15,000 wage increase over three years, additional benefits, and the regularization of contractual workers.

“In our desire to receive higher wages and benefits, and the regularization of contractuals, the management has retaliated with underpayment, harassment, and intimidation,” WPPWU said. The union chairperson recently experienced harassment from capitalist Wyeth.

On August 20, the union chairperson received a “notice to explain” for allegedly disobeying Wyeth’s orders. The company also outrightly denied the chairperson’s requested union leave.

According to WPPWU, this clearly constitutes harassment and an attempt to block the continuous strengthening and expansion of the union. “This is systematic harassment, and threats to job security and the attainment of a meaningful CBA,” the union added.

Amid these attacks, the union continues to advance its consolidation work among Wyeth members and workers to win the new CBA. The WPPWU remains determined to push for a wage increase in the coming years, since the company’s financial statements from 2020 to 2024 show that wages account for only 8% of total income in the past five years.

The union estimated that granting the ₱15,000 wage increase to both the WPPWU (the factory union) and the Wyeth Sales Union, which together have nearly 300 workers, will account for only 11% of Wyeth’s total income over the next three years (2025–2027).

“That is why we call on all workers. The union’s history proves that the security and success of our demands and calls lie in our own hands. We must unite our ranks, collectively learn and act, and support the demands of our union and the struggle of all workers,” the WPPWU stated.

The WPPWU added that this is particularly crucial amid the ongoing collusion between the capitalist and the Philippine government in enforcing neoliberal policies that aim to dismantle the unity of unions and workers.

Wyeth Nutrition Inc. Philippines is a subsidiary of the Pfizer Nutrition group, which is now under Nestle. It manufactures infant and children’s formulas such as Bonakid, Promil, Bonamil, and S26.