by IUF Asia/Pacific | Dec 19, 2025 | Campaigns, English language, Food Service Workers, Our Union Our Power
The United Delivery Riders of the Philippines (RIDERS) is intensifying its campaign to assert the rights of food delivery riders. The wage theft campaign, launched in 2023, challenges platform companies’ narrative that delivery riders are not their employees. Under the guise of partnership agreements, companies avoid their responsibility to provide benefits, insurance, and other forms of social protection for riders – benefits that should be part of their income.
RIDERS chapters across the Philippines have launched the campaign in their respective areas, filing formal complaints against food delivery companies like Grab and Foodpanda. Begin with the RIDERS-Pampanga chapter, the campaign has now been adopted by 10 other chapters. Each of the chapter is working to consolidate members and riders in their area, educating and preparing them to win the fight for a fairer working condition.
During the campaign launch, riders took to the streets, riding around the city to announce their stance and demands. Messages like “complete delivery, means complete income” and “platform companies call us partners, but they rob us” echoed throughout the city in support of the campaign.
Preparation meeting before launch of campaign
Members are holding unity ride during the campaign launching in Tarlac
Food delivery riders are winning and claiming their rights
The determination of unionized riders is paying off as more and more riders become aware of their rights and join the union. The first win of RIDERS-Cebu chapter in October 2024 is followed by several other chapters now, proving the existence of employee-employer relationship and riders’ entitlement to benefits, including the 13th month pay, holiday pay and service incentive leave. Furthermore, the decisions also order that food delivery company to return the diminished income of their riders.
As the union expands, an increasing number of riders are coming together to seek justice.
“Our work, our money, stop wage theft!” said Sister Evangelyn Asiddao, the National Secretary of RIDERS.
Union members are counting monetary award from their diminished income
IUF Asia/Pacific affirms commitment to combat wage theft in the food services sector
At the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Food Services Workers’ Meeting in Bangkok this June, the region’s priority to fight all forms of wage theft in the sector was reaffirmed. During the meeting, various forms of wage theft and experiences of affiliates were discussed and shared.
From RIDERS, we learned that wage theft occurs when companies withhold workers’ benefit, fail to pay the compensation that they are owed or reduce income and incentives without the consent of affected workers. In some cases, the tips that are meant for delivery riders are also even stolen!
As Brother Lemm Cabantog, the National President of RIDERS, once stated: “Delivery fees are for the delivery riders who solely work for it, don’t take it from them!”
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Dec 17, 2025 | Campaigns, English language, Hotel & Tourism Sector, Our Union Our Power, Sustainable Tourism
In order to bring back and revive the IUF Global Housekeeping Campaign initiative in Indonesia, the Federation of Hotel, Restaurant, Plaza, Apartment, Catering and Tourism Workers’ Independent Union (FSPM) organized series of event in Yogyakarta and Labuan Bajo, to raise awareness of the valuable work carried out by room attendants.
On November 21-22, the FSPM introduce its first campaign in Yogyakarta. They coordinated a joint exhibition at a university to educate general public about the hard and skilled work performed by room attendants every day. While sharing information on the health risks faced by room attendants, people who passed FSPM booth were invited to make a bed themselves, and the time they took to complete the task was recorded. Students and passerby gave testimonials, acknowledging that the work of room attendant is not easy, especially when they are rushed to meet room quota expectation.
Awareness raising with passerby
In Labuan Bajo, one of Indonesia’s main tourism destinations, FSPM launched a campaign initiative on November 22 by organizing a competition for hotel workers and tourism students, as the future workforce of hospitality industry. FSPM conveyed a message that room quota targets put the health and safety of room attendants at risk. Drawing in experiences from previous initiatives carried out by IUF affiliates worldwide, experienced room attendant who participated in the competition, as well as school teachers, affirmed that more respect and dignity toward housekeepers should be shown to appreciate their work. It was emphasized that Labuan Bajo, as super-premium tourist destination, should also provide super-premium working condition for its workers.
Organizing hotel workers in key tourist destination is crucial to ensure that tourism development benefits not only visitors, but also local communities and its workers. Clean, comfortable rooms are at the heart of hospitality business, in which room attendants are playing a vital role in providing excellent experience for guests.
FSPM calls for improved working conditions, including fair employment contracts, end of wage theft and elimination or reduction of room quotas. By recognizing the valuable work of room attendants, the hospitality industry can promote a safer and just tourism for all.
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Jul 3, 2025 | English language, Freedom of Association, Quality Apprenticeship, women's rights, Workplace safety
In India, food sector corporations are following the trend to recruit more women workers but failing to provide safe, secure, and sustainable employment to women workers. Like some major companies are proudly announcing their plans of high number of women workers in their units like Coca Cola at Sanand 66%, Nestle at Sanand 62%, ITC at Medak 50%, AB InBev at Aurangabad 50%, and Ferrero Baramati 33%.
Some companies started the recruitment without any consultation of workers representatives and due diligence and hence, it is failing miserably and leaving women workers with no alternatives other than resigning from work. Many of these women workers are the first generation of industrial workers and failure of these companies to ensure strict implementation of their own policies, impact a large section of women workers in long term. Without sufficient consultation with all stakeholders and trainings, retaining these women workers is going to be very challenging.
In judgement of the honorable Supreme Court of India said there are serious lapse and uncertainty in the implementation of the Protection of Women for Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, leaving many working women no choice but to leave their jobs. Indian PoSH act mandates that every employer must form an internal complaint committee at each workplace that has 10 or more employees.
In one of the instances, women workers recruited by labour hire agency in one of major multinational corporation in India reported Sexual Harassment complaints against company HR Executive. Instead of fair investigation, company failed to take any immediate action which helped accused to misuse his authority. Finally, women had to approach the local police station to ensure her safety and justice.
This is not the first incidence and certainly not the last. In the absence of an independent & democratic strong union, women workers especially in precarious employment may continue to suffer.
In one of the major beer sector multinational company manufacturing sites in Maharashtra India, the company ensured gender balance in recruitment but even after five years, due diligence failed to ensure women workers safety through basic amenities like door-to-door transport, separate changing room, hygienic water & sanitation facility.
Image 1: IUF Asia Pacific Educational Training of Young Workers in Maharashtra, India.
All these incidences are self-explanatory in nature to help unions understand that in the absence of their active involvement, all these important policies including related to gender balance & workplace safety are bound to fail and have catastrophic implications.
IUF Action Program for Equality 2023-2027 calls on affiliates and on the IUF itself to make urgent progress and priorities work including preventing and eliminating gender-based violence and harassment. 3rd IUF Asia Pacific Regional Women’s Conference passed resolution which mandates to focus on more women in better paid, skilled, and secure jobs.
IUF Affiliates in India negotiated collective bargaining agreement in Ferrero company site, to form an women workers committee to resolve women workers concerns in the plant and converting precarious employment into permanent employment. Other affiliates in India continues to focus on gender equality and working together with the companies to ensure gender balance.
Despite these legislations, committees & company policies, due to unilateral approach of companies, there remains a significant and important journey ahead to safe, secure, and sustainable employment for these women workers.
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Jun 30, 2025 | Collective Bargaining Rights, English language, Freedom of Association, Labours' Rights, women's rights
Indian rural workers working in these village level primary milk collection centres remains unorganised and deprived of their labour rights but organising and fighting of workers at Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited successfully helped them to win their workers right.
The village level primary milk collection centres are responsible to collection, testing of milk, maintain collection records, milk payment to farmers, and also implementation of policies at the local level. These milk collection centres are legally registered with the state authorities as cooperative and provides on ground required support to small-marginal farmers. However,
The workers employed at the centres are from the same village and works in the morning and evening shift at the time of milk collection. Due to lack of implementation of one village, one primary co-operative, in some states like Maharashtra, multiple centres in the villages creates competition and reduce milk collection quantity and ultimately reduces the income of centres and their workers.
The employment of these workers is with the centres and district cooperative pays centres like per litre of milk collection i.e., INR 0.6 paise per litre (means INR 6 for ten litres of milk) as employee cost and 0.8 paise per litre (means INR 8 for ten litres of milk) as centre administrative cost.
Despite all odds, milk collection centres workers at Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited (brand name Gokul) organised themselves under the legally registered labour union called Kolhapur Zilha Sahakari Doodh Sanstha Karmachari Sanghatana. Currently, the union represents around 9626 milk collection centre workers from Kolhapur district of Maharashtra and the membership continuous to grow. The union is also officially recognised by Gokul management, and the state authorities and invited for policy discussions.
The union also started different welfare schemes for their members from additional annual collection of INR 400 per member. They provide health insurance, term insurance, accidental insurance, retirement benefits, scholarship for children, etc,. to centre workers and their families.
The union also regularly followed with the social security (Provident Fund) Office and allowed their registration as employees. Hence, their Provident Fund amount is also directly deposited in to their PF account whereas in other state cooperatives like Karnataka Milk Federation (brand name Nandini), PF account is not allowed for centre workers in Karnataka, with the justification that centre does not qualify the requirement of minimum 20 employees at workplace. In an exchange visit, organised by the IUF Asia Pacific, unions from Maharashtra agreed to provide all the required technical support to lobby with concerned authorities to start Provident Fund membership to milk collection centre workers in Karnataka state.
GOKUL center workers representatives at Karnataka Milk Collection Centre
During IUF Asia Pacific outreach in Kolhapur, centre workers mentioned that majority of women workers in rural areas are involved in dairy animal management and bring this milk to centres. Hence, any state decisions directly affects the livelihood of millions of women dairy farmers in rural areas, including women dairy farmers.
Indian dairy production continus to grow annually and at the heart of this success are the unsung heroes of the rural dairy ecosystem—the workers at primary milk collection centers. These individuals serve as the first point of contact between millions of smallholder farmers and the broader dairy supply chain. Their dedication ensures that milk is collected efficiently, tested for quality, and transported under hygienic conditions, safeguarding both farmer incomes and consumer trust.
The Indian dairy industry mainly relies on these workers to collect quality milk supplies but in the absence of stronger union to protect and promote their rights, this whole arrangement is unsustainable. Hence, the future of Indian dairy industry directly linked with safe, secure and sustainable employment to these milk collection centre workers.
Women Dairy Farmer while supplying milk to village level milk collection center of Karnataka Milk Collection Center
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Jun 20, 2025 | Collective Bargaining Rights, English language, Freedom of Association, Human Rights
In today’s bilateral meeting between democratically elected local governing body representatives and Coca Cola management representatives, there is no progress on community concern and management refused to make any commitment on employment to local community.
in the absence of satisfactory response from company management, it is collectively decided to continue demanding justice and condemn police action against community, including women.
Here is the press release from the recent press conference of community condemning Coca Cola’s orchestrated police action against community
DocScanner Jun 20, 2025 10-12
by IUF Asia/Pacific | Jun 18, 2025 | English language, Food Service Workers, Freedom of Association, Secure Jobs
Members of the IUF affiliated-Federation of Hotel, Restaurant, Plaza, Apartment, Catering, and Tourism Workers’ Free Union (FSPM) organized protest action to demand reinstatement of two union members at the well-known Japanese sushi restaurant chain, Genki Sushi, in Indonesia.
Union officers and founding members of Genki Sushi Workers’ Union, Sister Diana and Brother Ryan, were unfairly terminated after the franchisee of the restaurant chain, PT Agung Mandiri Lestari, announced store closure in early January 2025. Using efficiency reason, the company dismissed 4 permanent workers, who were all union members, while other 3 non-unionized workers were transferred to other outlets.
The termination of four union members was even more unfair by the fact that the company refused to give them option for transfer at a time when there are still a lot of stores that are experiencing staff shortages. The company also prefers to hire new recruits instead of reemploying the skilled and experienced workers.
In their latest protest on June 4, the FSPM also highlighted the company’s violation on social and health protection regulation by immediately stopping the contribution payment of workers’ government mandatory health insurance when there is no binding decision yet on their termination. This left the wife of one of the terminated workers had no health protection when she was five months pregnant and forced two union members to accept the unilateral termination with no choice.
FSPM members protested at the head office of PT Agung Mandiri Lestari, the subsidiary of MAP Group who is also the franchisee of Burger King, Starbucks, Subway and several other restaurant brands in Indonesia.
