PAL to pursue ‘anti-worker’ policies with people’s money

November 17, 2010 05:22:00
Philippine Daily Inquirer

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES’ plan to borrow P2.6 billion from government financial institutions such as the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to finance its restructuring scheme is both appalling and alarming. It is appalling, as PAL has the audacity to seek help from the government in its effort to throw out 2,600 ground crew employees. It is disturbing that it is using the people’s own resources to fund its anti-people policies. Clearly, this is a classic case of niluluto tayo sa sarili nating mantika (frying ourselves in our own lard).

We warn DBP and LBP not to give in to the loan application of PAL. They must not be a party to this year’s massive retrenchment and in the further weakening of the workers’ right to security of tenure. The role of government financial institutions (GFIs) is to spur economic growth by financing job creation and small and medium enterprise endeavors in the urban and rural areas. When they lend money, which would only be used to retrench workers, they are contradicting their own principles and goals. They are financing unemployment. Worse, they are skewing efforts away from economic development.

The government is already in hot water over the labor department’s wrong decision approving the dismissal of thousands of regular workers. If the state banks approve PAL’s loan request, then it is also giving its consent to the obliteration of job security here in the Philippines.

Thus, we challenge the GFIs to immediately reject any loan application from PAL in order to fund its restructuring scheme with the end view of dismissing thousands of regular workers. They have no business acting as the union buster’s financier to its unfair labor practices. Instead, the state banks should prioritize the funding of small and medium enterprises as well as the financing of programs that will generate real jobs, including those in agriculture, which is the real core of economic development.
For our part, we will block all efforts from PAL to use the people’s money to finance anti-worker policies. We will be on our toes to ensure that no such deals push through. The people’s resources must not be part of any business plan that would place the workers and their families’ future in jeopardy.
—RISA HONTIVEROS,
spokesperson, Akbayan Party,
36-B Madasalin St. Sikatuna Village,
Quezon City