“The struggle of Kowloon is also a struggle for other workers to attain a living wage, secure jobs, and their rights.”
MANILA — The workers of Chinese restaurant Kowloon House successfully asserted their demands for wage increase, benefits, and the turnover of service charges after their six-day strike in West Avenue, Quezon City.
“This strike is a historic victory that reinforces the role of the working class as the creators of the world’s wealth,” Glowhrain – Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Kowloon House West Chapter, said in a Filipino statement. “The workers have demonstrated that a strike is their primary weapon against violations of their rights, and that their unity is what drives their success.”
The strike started on April 15, 2026, in response to the management’s refusal to implement the P25 wage increase for the past three years, based on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that the union and the Katipunan Food Services Inc (KFSI) signed in August 2021.
On April 20, 2026, the union and the KFSI went to another negotiation together with the National Conciliation and Mediation Board. The union announced that the management agreed to increase their wage to P40 in a span of two years and to return the service charges they owed to the workers through a staggered payment.
The estimated amount of service charge that the company has not remitted to the workers is P570,000, according to the union.
Other benefits clinched by the workers include signing bonus, vacation leave, sick leave, union leave, loyalty pay, educational aid, and mobilization support.
The strike paralyzed the production of the company for six days. KFSI’s legal counsel Perlito Campanilla told the media that the strike is a major challenge for the company.
In a day, the workers produce 10,000 orders of siomai at a standard price of P90 per order and 6,000 orders of siopao at a price of P105 per order. This translates to P1.53 million per day. The union estimates that the company is earning P400,000 of profit a day.
The six-day strike was supported by various sectors: youth, farmers, environmental activists, human rights defenders, and faith-based organizations.
“While the strike issue has been resolved, the minimum wage remains far from a living wage,” Glowhrain – KMU Kowloon House West Chapter added. “From long experience, history has proven—and this strike has affirmed—that only through collective action can workers achieve their rights. Thus, the struggle of Kowloon is also a struggle for other workers to attain a living wage, secure jobs, and their rights.” (RVO)
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