Solons appeal to PAL employees to abandon plan to stage strike

Monday, 06 September 2010 13:17 Fernan Marasigan / Reporter
BusinessMirror

THE chairman and members of the House tourism committee appealed to protesting employees of Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Monday to call off their planned strike, warning that the move could spell the collapse of the country’s tourism industry as the country is still smarting from the adverse effect of the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident.

Liberal Party Rep. Florencio Miraflores of Aklan, committee chairman, and Nationalist People’s Coalition Rep. Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental said a strike of workers of the country’s flag carrier is the last thing that the country’s tourism industry needs as it still smarts from the impact to the tourism industry of the hostage incident that resulted in the killing of eight Hong Kong tourists.
The legislators called on the PAL management and the protesting workers not to abandon the negotiating table, saying that resorting to drastic?measures such as staging a strike is the last thing that the country needs.

Miraflores said he expects the government to intervene should the labor issue turn for the worse and adversely affect the country’s economy and international reputation.

“At this time, a PAL strike will exacerbate the situation, sana huwag  muna dagdagan ang problema. It’s hurting us already,” said Miraflores.

He?confirmed reports that resort and hotel owners in the country, especially in Boracay which is part of his congressional district, have started to feel the effect?of the hostage crisis.
“Chinese tourists have started to shy away from our resorts because they obey whatever their government says. We have to work very hard to convince China to lift the travel advisory against the Philippines,” he said.