28/06/2024
Workers of Sofitel lauds the Senate Inquiry into the union busting in Sofitel
The imminent closure of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel on July 1, which unions have called a grand union-busting scheme, has triggered a Senate legislative inquiry. The closure of hotel will displace over 1,000 workers and their families.
On June 24, 2024, Senator Risa Hontiveros introduced PSR No. 1059, a resolution calling for a Senate investigation into the labor policy implications of the impending closure of Sofitel Philippine Plaza.
"This is a laudable move. It is high time that workers be provided with solid guarantees against union busting," said Marco Gojol, NUWHRAIN Deputy Secretary General.
According to the union, all indicators suggest the hotel will reopen after the renovation. In an interview last year, President Peña Sy of the Philippine Plaza Holdings Inc (PPHI) stated that the company has allocated about P3 billion to P4 billion to rehabilitate the building, which they plan on recovering through the remaining 17 years on their lease with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). They are also seeking an extension for 25 more years, up to 2066, and have recently invested in new furniture and dining equipment.
However, the PPHI continues to keep workers in the dark about its future plans.
"Sofitel's secrecy about post-renovation plans leaves workers anxious and uncertain about their future," Gojol said. "Its refusal to provide job guarantees to all those affected and to continue respecting the union and its CBA should it reopen tells us it is only after one thing: to bust the union."
Thanks to years of hard work by the unions through collective bargaining, Sofitel workers enjoy some of the best wages and benefits in the industry. Several years ago, the unions also won a decision to regularize at least 700 contractual workers, which the company continues to challenge legally.
The union pledged to sustain the fight. "Our fight will not end with the closure of Sofitel. It will only mark the beginning of a shaming campaign against PPHI and its partner Accor SA at the global level," Gojol declared. # # #
Accor Group Department of Labor and Employment - DOLE Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
