Guides to unions, collective bargaining, unfair labor practices, strikes and lockouts, and grievance and arbitration under Philippine law.
For an overview of unions, bargaining and dispute-resolution terms, start with the Collective Labor Relations topic hub.
Last correction: 18 October 2026. Archive navigation was checked and updated with a link to the topic hub. No original legal source documents or provisions were rechecked for this navigation-only update.
A picket line is legal in the Philippines when it follows the strike notice, vote and 7-day waiting rules and avoids violence or blocking gates. See the innocent bystander rule, officer-vs-member liability, and four Supreme Court cases.
Employees in the Philippine private sector may form a labor union, but the union only gains legal personality and the rights of a legitimate labor organization once DOLE issues its certificate of registration under Article 240 of the Labor Code.[2] An independent union must show members making up at least 20% of the employees in…
Unfair labor practice under Philippine law covers specific acts by employers or unions that attack the right to self-organize or the duty to bargain in good faith — from interference and dues withholding to bad-faith bargaining. This guide explains Articles 259 and 260 of the Labor Code, the one-year filing deadline, and what three Supreme Court cases teach about proving (and defending against) a ULP claim.
A complete guide to collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in the Philippines: who has the right to negotiate one, the legal procedure and deadlines under the Labor Code, what a valid CBA must contain, its five-year and three-year terms, and what happens when an employer or union refuses to bargain in good faith.