The termination of Kyle Enero is a textbook case of how corporations use vague allegations and administrative procedures to silence labor leaders.
LAGUNA — Labor and human rights groups denounced the dismissal of a business process outsourcing (BPO) worker who happens to be a labor organizer.
They stressed that the dismissal reflects a pattern of retaliation against workers who organize, speak out, and demand safer workplaces and higher wages.
Azpired Inc. fired BPO worker and organizer John Kyle Enero on August 11, according to the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), after months of disciplinary actions and heightened scrutiny that labor groups said were linked to his involvement in workers’ rights campaigns.
Enero, a customer service representative who had worked in the BPO industry for three years, is also president of the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu and vice president for Visayas of BIEN Pilipinas.
“The termination of Kyle Enero is a textbook case of how corporations use vague allegations and administrative procedures to silence labor leaders,” said Kamz Deligente, CTUHR executive director. “They want to instill a culture of fear to stop BPO workers from demanding their basic rights to safety and fair wages.”
From workplace safety to wage demands
Enero’s conflict with management reportedly intensified after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Cebu on September 30, 2025.
As an employee representative during Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) inspections, Enero and BIEN-Cebu raised concerns over BPO companies allegedly requiring employees to report to work despite questions surrounding workplace and building safety.
BIEN-Cebu pushed for OSH inspections across BPO workplaces and filed complaints concerning alleged safety violations.
According to CTUHR, Enero became a prominent workers’ advocate during the aftermath of the earthquake when employees raised concerns about being made to work onsite amid safety risks.
BIEN said that management later warned Enero to “tread carefully” after the organization filed complaints over OSH concerns.
The labor group said disciplinary actions against Enero continued and intensified following his organizing activities.
The conflict escalated when BIEN-Cebu campaigned for a P1,200 ($19) increase in the regional minimum wage in Central Visayas, alongside consultations with workers and engagement with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board VII.
For BIEN-Cebu, the timing of Enero’s disciplinary actions and dismissal raises concerns that his labor organizing and advocacy were targeted.
“The dismissal of a worker who exercises his right to organize and raise legitimate labor concerns sends a chilling message to employees across the industry: Speak up about your rights, and you risk losing your livelihood,” BIEN-Cebu said in its August 15 statement.
Disputed allegations
Enero was terminated after being accused of “unauthorized disclosure” involving the facilitation of system access for a former employee.
He denied the allegations, according to CTUHR, and questioned the company’s failure to provide evidence of the alleged violation.
BIEN-Cebu said that the dismissal followed a 12-day suspension that it considered illegal and part of a series of disciplinary measures it described as baseless and retaliatory.
The organization said that Enero documented workplace harassment, repeated disciplinary notices, and increased scrutiny of his activities as a worker-organizer.
The groups stressed that the allegations remain disputed and that Enero challenged the disciplinary actions.
CTUHR also criticized an alleged settlement agreement offered by the company that included a provision restricting Enero from speaking publicly about his termination.
For the labor rights group, such restrictions can prevent workers from bringing alleged labor violations into public scrutiny.
Beyond one worker
Enero’s dismissal drew solidarity from workers’ groups and unions, including the Gabay ng Unyon sa Telekomunikasyon ng mga Superbisor (GUTS) PLDT which warned that punishing a worker for his or her advocacy could intimidate workers across industries.
BIEN-Cebu said that the case goes beyond an individual employment dispute, stressing that BPO workers’ right to organize, raise workplace concerns, and demand better wages and working conditions without fear of retaliation.
“When one worker is punished for advocacy, it is a warning shot against all of us. We refuse to be intimidated,” GUTS said.
For BIEN Pilipinas, the case threatens the right to organize. “An attack on a worker for organizing is an attack on the right of every BPO worker to organize.”
Reinstatement
CTUHR and BIEN called for Enero’s reinstatement, with BIEN demanding full backwages.
The groups urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to investigate the circumstances surrounding his suspension and dismissal, uphold due process, enforce labor standards, and protect workers’ freedom of association.
BIEN-Cebu, meanwhile, vowed to pursue legal and other remedies.
For Enero’s fellow workers and labor advocates, his case has become a test of whether BPO workers can speak collectively about their working conditions without placing their livelihoods at risk. (DAA)
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