THIS year, national condiment brand NutriAsia is embroiled in labor issues. Its workers claimed of unfair labor practice, ranging from unpaid overtimes and risky working environment without security, while only a couple hundreds were regularized, but more than a thousand were under contract.
Two days ago, a violence erupted between picketing laborers and company security aided by the police. Violent dispersal erupted that caused some of protesters got injured and detained. The protest action by NutriAsia laborers were joined by progressive labor and student groups as solidarity to the workers' plight.
NutriAsia issued a statement that there have been arrangements made between the company and the workers prior to the incident, and the company claimed that it was the protesters who reacted with violence first.
The company also said that the protesting workers were only a small fraction of their labor force, around 200, compared to the thousand more workers who worked in the production area.
The labor rights issue that NutriAsia is facing has caused some people to call for a boycott in buying of their known brands: Silver Swan, UFC, Datu Puti, Mang Tomas, Locally, Papa Catsup, and Golden Fiesta.
Until the company provides just compensation and relief to its workers, some people vowed not to buy these products.
Good luck to NutriAsia, which was said to earn at least P650 million a year.
Interestingly, boycotting that multimillion company's products can bring a potential for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) in the region that sells local variety of condiments.
Patronizing local brands can inspire and encourage local producers that observe fair labor practices, which can result to a good contributor to the local economy.
Every year, MSME players in the Northern Mindanao region are being encouraged to make their local products appealing to the global market, and this is not just producers of condiments but also to other food, crafts, and services. So why not help the local industry instead, right? And hopefully these MSMEs will also maintain a good labor practice.