PAL looming strike to cause ‘emergency’

Wednesday, 11 August 2010 00:00
THE MANILA TIMES

The domestic tourism industry would lose some as well as win some from Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) current woes, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said.

Lim told reporters on the sidelines of the Wallace Business Forum Roundtable on Tuesday that a looming strike of PAL flight attendants and stewards would create an “emergency” situation.
PAL itself would suffer heavily if it failed to address policies of the flag-carrier on pay, retirement and pregnancy.

During a press conference also on Tuesday, Bob Anduiza, the president of Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (Fasap), said that they decided to push through with their planned strike after PAL management refused to yield to their demands.

According to Anduiza, the management, during a meeting on Monday, rejected lowering the retirement age for flight attendants, revoking the no-pregnancy rule and raising the salaries of members of the association.

The flag-carrier has been reported to be reeling from an exodus of pilots to foreign airlines that offer much higher salaries than PAL.

Fasap wants the flag-carrier to pay them a total of P160 million as back pay for the more than three years that PAL failed to raise their salaries.
PAL had offered a “one-time” P80-million package to its 1,600 flight attendants and stewards.

Its flight attendants are required to retire once they reach the age of 40 based on the 2000 to 2005 collective bargaining agreement.

Lim said that while the government has come up with a contingency plan—tapping other domestic air carriers to serve travelers who may be adversely affected by a strike—implementation may take some time.

“It may take a month to make these arrangements,” he added. “We don’t know which flights may be affected.”
The Tourism secretary said that PAL would mainly insulate its international flights from the trouble at the flag-carrier.

According to Lim, it helps that there are other airlines ready to help out, unlike during the PAL pilots’ strike in 1998.
PAL at present has 40-percent share of local flights.

Lim said that PAL’s problems may open the doors for more new players.

He batted for liberalizing the local airline industry.

Besides PAL, other airlines servicing the domestic market are Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines Express, SEAIR and Zest Air.

Anduiza said that they will announce the date of the strike a day before holding it.

He appealed to the Department of Labor and Employment to be fair to both Fasap and PAL.

Anduiza said that Labor Secretary Rosalina Baldoz not only has the power to assume jurisdiction over the standoff but also the power to order the PAL management to answer questions raised by Fasap.

Ben Arnold O. De Vera And Jefferson Antiporda