NEW JERSEY. Jollibee North America has responded to allegations of illegal dismissal involving nine employees at its branch in New Jersey, stating that the Journal Square store terminated the workers due to financial challenges.
The Jollibee branch had previously faced criticism for the alleged unjust termination of the nine employees.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Jollibee North America explained that the Journal Square branch, which is situated near a commuter hub, has been struggling to recover from changes in customer behavior following the pandemic. This includes a decline in foot traffic in the area as more people are working remotely.
“The Jollibee Journal Square store in the US implemented a reduction in its workforce, unfortunately affecting nine store crew members who were selected based on a last-in first-out basis of hiring,” the statement clarified. “This action was taken due to financial circumstances specific to this store and is unrelated to other claims circulating online.”
Last week, the labor group Justice for Jollibee Workers gained attention when it accused the branch of unlawfully terminating the nine employees after discovering their plans to unionize and demand higher wages, double holiday pay, and compensation for “borrowed workers” who were temporarily assigned to work for another employer.
Justice for Jollibee Workers subsequently penned a letter demanding the reinstatement of all terminated employees, backpay and compensation, a public apology, and recognition of workers’ rights.
“We know the truth. We know that, in fact, you were trying to undermine us, workers who are simply striving to improve our working conditions,” the demand letter expressed.
Former Jollibee workers, along with more than 50 supporters, staged a protest at the Journal Square, with some publicly reading the demand letter to ensure the management was aware of their grievances.
Justice for Jollibee Workers also claims that instances of wage theft, worker mistreatment and misclassification, casualization, and chronic understaffing have occurred in Jollibee branches worldwide.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
