The UNI Global Union – Philippine Liaison Council (UNI-PLC) has asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to carry out a full labor inspection of Fresenius Medical Care Philippines, Inc. This request follows reports of serious labor violations affecting health workers at Fresenius’ dialysis centers across the country.
In its letter to DOLE, UNI-PLC said that Fresenius continues to employ staff through subsidiaries such as Asia Renal Care, FMC Renal Care, and Mindanao Renal Care. These entities have already been acquired and are managed under Fresenius’ main office in Alabang. According to UNI-PLC, this structure is used to avoid giving workers regular employment status and job security, even though their roles are central to the company’s operations.
Health workers have reported several breaches of labor standards and occupational safety rules. Some nurses and staff said they worked without proper meal breaks and experienced either delayed or missing payments for wages and social benefits like Social Security System contributions, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation coverage, and Home Development Mutual Fund payments. There were also reports of unpaid premium pay as well as denial of vacation and sick leave credits.
UNI-PLC raised concerns about working conditions in Fresenius dialysis centers. The union pointed out that high patient-to-nurse ratios could lead to overwork, mistakes caused by fatigue, injuries, and higher risk of disease exposure among staff. Other reported issues include a lack of designated safety officers, failure to submit medical or workplace accident reports as required by law, no established occupational safety committees, non-compliance with mandatory eight-hour safety orientation for employees, and absence of a comprehensive safety program for inspectors.
Fresenius Medical Care is a major global provider of dialysis products and services with more than 3.7 million patients worldwide. In the Philippines it operates 24 dialysis centers and holds a leading position in the sector. UNI-PLC stated that protecting worker rights is closely linked with maintaining quality care for patients who rely on these services.
Internationally, the Fresenius Global Union Alliance—a group representing over 50 trade unions—has previously voiced concerns about similar labor practices at Fresenius in countries including Colombia and the United States.
DOLE’s Bureau of Working Conditions has referred UNI-PLC’s request for an inspection to its MUNTAPARLAS Field Office. UNI-PLC urged DOLE to conduct this investigation promptly and transparently. The union warned that “anything less would be a betrayal of both health workers and patients.”
De La Cruz called on the government to enforce its promises regarding worker rights: “Year after year, the Philippines is ranked among the worst countries in the world for workers. The Marcos administration has pledged to change that, but pledges mean nothing without enforcement. This case is a test. Will our government protect workers, or will it protect corporations? The world is watching.”
