Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Contractual Obligations Prevail: Upholding the Christmas Bonus in Collective Bargaining Agreements
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies that employers cannot bypass a valid CBA by negotiating with a splinter union.
Preliminary Injunctions in the Philippines: Preserving Status Quo in Property Disputes
Learn when Philippine courts issue preliminary injunctions to preserve status quo, based on the Supreme Court's ruling in Maunlad Homes v. Union Bank.
Preliminary Injunction and Possession Rights: Maunlad Homes v. Union Bank
When can a property owner be barred from collecting rentals? The Supreme Court explains the limits of ownership rights versus possession in Maunlad Homes v. Union Bank.
Preliminary Injunctions Protecting Possession Rights in Philippine Property Disputes
Learn how the Supreme Court protected possession rights through preliminary injunctions in Maunlad Homes v. Union Bank, and what this means for property disputes.
When Can Employees Be Fired for Participating in a Strike in the Philippines
Philippine law protects rank-and-file strikers from dismissal for mere participation in an illegal strike, but union officers face stricter liability.
When the Secretary of Labor May Award Higher Wages Than a Union MOA
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on whether the Labor Secretary can grant wage increases higher than a union's memorandum of agreement.
Illegal Strike Consequences: Reinstatement Rights and Separation Pay in Labor Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies illegal strike consequences, reinstatement rights, and separation pay for union members in labor disputes.
Diminution of Benefits, Union Authority, and Validity of MOA in Financial Distress
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when a Memorandum of Agreement reducing employee benefits is valid despite financial distress and union ratification issues.
Job Evaluations and Employee Entitlements: Clarifying the Scope of Management Prerogative
Supreme Court clarifies that union security clauses cannot justify dismissal for exercising the right to self-organization during the freedom period.
Union Security Clauses and Employee Rights: Lessons from PICOP Resources
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when union security clauses justify dismissal and how employee rights to self-organization are protected.
Defining Rank-and-File Union Membership Eligibility in the Philippines
A 2010 Supreme Court ruling clarifies when employees are confidential and excluded from rank-and-file bargaining units, and what constitutes unfair labor practice.
Federation Employee Eligibility Navigating Union Governance AND Election Rules
Supreme Court ruling on federation employees running for union office, election jurisdiction, and the binding force of constitutions.
Defiance OF Return TO Work Order Just Cause FOR Dismissal OF Union Officers
Union Registration Fraud Claims: What Eagle Ridge Teaches About Labor Organizing
Supreme Court clarifies when misrepresentation claims can cancel a union's registration, protecting workers' right to self-organization.
Due Process in Union Expulsion: Protecting Workers From Unfair Dismissal
The Supreme Court clarifies that employers must observe procedural due process before dismissing workers under a union security clause.
Union Leave vs Management Prerogative: Balancing Rights in the Workplace
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on union leave, management prerogative, and the consequences of defying a disapproved leave application.
Outsourcing Validity: Management Prerogative vs. Union Bargaining Rights
Supreme Court ruling on when outsourcing is valid management prerogative and when it intrudes on union bargaining unit coverage.
Union Registration and the 20% Membership Rule: Lessons from Mariwasa Siam Ceramics
The Supreme Court clarifies that the 20% membership requirement applies only at registration, not throughout a union's existence.
CBA Renegotiation Preserving Workers Rights TO Union Representation
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on how CBA renegotiation affects the 60-day freedom period for certification elections and union representation rights.
Upholding the Right to Organize: How the Supreme Court Scrutinizes Union Registration Objections
In Heritage Hotel Manila v. PIGLAS-Heritage, the Supreme Court rejected technical objections to union registration and affirmed the workers' right to self-organization.
When a Strike Is Not Illegal: The "Knowingly Participates" Rule in Labor Law
A strike notice without the employer's counter-proposal is not defective if none exists. Automatic dismissal of union officers requires knowing participation in an illegal strike.
Strike Legality Counter Proposals AND Union Officer Dismissals IN Labor Disputes
Supreme Court clarifies notice of strike requirements and the "knowingly participates" rule for dismissing union officers.
Union Dues and Tuition Fee Hises: Protecting Faculty Benefits Under the Law
Supreme Court clarifies union dues on tuition-fee-funded faculty benefits, protecting mandatory allocations from negotiation fees.
Union Shop Steward Is a Union Position: Lessons from Miranda v. Asian Terminals
The Supreme Court clarifies that a shop steward holds a union position, not a company post, and explains the limits of employer liability in intra-union disputes.