Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Workers of Kowloon House West Avenue celebrate successful negotiations on April 20, 2026 that led to a pay increase and staggered payment of service charge collected by owner Katipunan Food Services Inc. Photo courtesy Adrian Puse/Altermidya

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1776842416932674151555_1454837720016705_7555013902427979453_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Workers of Kowloon House West Avenue celebrate successful negotiations on April 20, 2026 that led to a pay increase and staggered payment of service charge collected by owner Katipunan Food Services Inc. Photo courtesy Adrian Puse/Altermidya</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Workers of Kowloon House West Avenue secured higher daily pay and the distribution of service charge, ending a six-day strike in what its union called a historic win.</p><p>In an April 20 statement, Genuine Labor Organization of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant, and Allied Industries – Kilusang Mayo Uno said talks at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board led to owner Katipunan Food Services Inc. committing to raise wages by P20 and to staggered payments of the workers’ share of the service charge collected by the company.</p><p>“Makasaysayang tagumpay ang welgang ito na nagpapatibay sa papel ng uring manggagawa na siyang lumilikha ng yaman ng buong daigdig. Ipinamalas ng mga manggagawa na tanging welga ang armas sa paglabag sa karapatan nila at ang kaisahan nila ang siyang magtutulak sa tagumpay,” the union said.</p><p>(This strike is a historic win that reiterates the workers’ role in creating wealth. The workers showed that the strike is their only weapon against violations of their rights and that their solidarity brings victory)</p><p>Strikes are often a last resort for workers when negotiations fail, are deadlocked, or are impossible to do in good faith.</p><p>Workers had initially demanded an increase of P25/day in light of more than P100 in increases from wage orders and their Collective Bargaining Agreement that had not been implemented. The company countered with an offer of a P18/day increase.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/4/18/dimsum-workers-seek-understanding-support-amid-strike-over-unpaid-pay-hikes-1324">Dimsum workers seek understanding, support amid strike over unpaid pay hikes<br/></a></div><p>The union said that although the strike was successful, the current minimum wage in Metro Manila is P695 for non-agricultural workers and P658 for agricultural workers and for those in small service, retail, and manufacturing companies.</p><p>The minimum wage varies across the Philippines depending on region and sector, with the lowest at P366 for agricultural workers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.</p><p>&quot;Kung kaya ang laban ng Kowloon ay laban din para sa iba pang mga manggagawa para makamit ang nakabubuhay na sahod, trabaho, at karapatan,&quot; the union said.</p><p>(That is why the fight of Kowloon workers is also a fight for other workers to win a livable wage, for their jobs, and for their rights)</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1677085506763677%2F&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="591" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/29/-family-living-wage-pushed-to-address-rising-cost-of-basic-goods-ofw-deployment-1926">&#x27;Family living wage&#x27; pushed to address rising cost of basic goods, OFW deployment<br/></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>LOW UNIONIZATION IN THE PHILIPPINES</strong></div><p>According to Bureau of Labor Relations data, there were 162,542 registered labor organizations — workers&#x27; associations and unions — in the country as of the first quarter of 2026. They account for a total reported membership of 7.01 million.</p><p>That number is about 14% of an estimated work force of 49.43 million, according to Philippine Statistics Authority data.</p><p>Of that 162,542 organizations, the majority are workers&#x27; associations, which, according to BLR, &quot;are organized for the mutual aid and protection of its members or for any legitimate purpose other than collective bargaining.&quot;</p><p>In a <a href="https://blr.dole.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Final_Labor-Relations-Overview_2023.pdf">2023 Labor Relations Overview</a> by the bureau, it noted that the unionization rate in the Philippines peaked in 2014 at 17% &quot;while the lowest rate was noted in 2021 at 11.4%.&quot;</p><p>New York City-headquartered Human Rights Watch in a <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/25/philippines-dangerous-red-tagging-labor-leaders">2024 report</a> documented incidents of intimidation and harassment that has led workers &quot;to withdraw from unions and individual unions to end their affiliations with labor federations critical of the government.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/15/wrap-why-workers-blame-marcos-jr-for-congress-failed-wage-hike-bills-1630">WRAP: Why workers blame Marcos Jr. for Congress’ failed wage hike bills</a></div><div><strong>— Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

<p>Workers of Kowloon House West Avenue secured higher daily pay and the distribution of service charge, ending a six-day strike in what its union called a historic win.</p>

Workers of Kowloon House West Avenue secured higher daily pay and the distribution of service charge, ending a six-day strike in what its union called a historic win.

Dimsum workers secure wage hike, share of service charge after 6-day strike

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Dimsum workers secure wage hike, share of service charge after 6-day strike

ABS-CBN News

Published April 22, 2026 03:26 PM PHT

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Kowloon House

Workers

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