Filipinas - Union members laid off in bank merger

On 30 December, 11 messengers and janitors were dismissed by the Planters Development Bank, recently merged with China Bank Savings Inc., during negotiations for a new collective agreement. Their union, the Planters Development Bank Employees Association (PDBEA,) had sought security of tenure for the workers, most of whom were themselves union officials. The Ecumenical Institute for Labour Education and Research, Inc. (EILER) believed the reason behind the dismissals was to undermine the collective bargaining process and weaken the union. The aim was apparently to replace the dismissed workers with contract labour.