IUF lodges complaint at the ILO to reinstate Philippine Hotel Workers

Posted to the IUF website 22-May-2009

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The IUF has stepped up pressure on the Philippine government to reinstate workers at the DUSIT Hotel who were dismissed on mass in 2002 during a dispute over renegotiation of their collective agreement. The workers are members of IUF affiliate NUHWRAIN.

In the course of the dispute, employees came to work with shaved heads or closely-cropped hair to symbolize their deep frustration with the unreasonable delay in the negotiations for the renewal of their collective bargaining agreement with the hotel. When they reported for work, Dusit Hotel Nikko security guards prevented them from entering the hotel for alleged violation of the Hotel�s grooming standards without informing them when they could return to work. Over 200 members and officers were subsequently dismissed (including women who had committed no alleged infringement of the grooming standards).

The hotel management made use of mass dismissal of NUHWRAIN members to encourage the establishment of an organization called Dusit Hotel Employees Labor Union, demonstrating that the dispute was never about "grooming standards" but rather intended to eliminate the legal collective bargaining agent for the hotel employees.

Following a lengthy appeals process, these anti-union dismissals were upheld in a November 11, 2008 decision of the country's Supreme Court which ruled that by shaving their heads, the workers had engaged in illegal strike action. This is in clear violation of fundamental trade union rights guaranteed by ILO Conventions 98 and 87, to which the Philippine government is a signatory


The IUF is calling on the ILO to demand that the Philipine Government act to revoke this decision and reinstate the workers with full back pay and benefits.

The IUF has also placed the DUSIT Hotel on our Hotel Monitor, enabling travellers and tourism professionals to see where there are ongoing labour conflicts around the world and make informed decisions about the level of service and reliability they can expect from these establishments.

For more information, and to see the full list of hotels please click on the Hotel Monitor section of the website.