INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:41:00 12/07/2010
MANILA, Philippines—Members of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (Palea) in Manila and other major airports have started voting Tuesday whether to push through with their strike to protest PAL’s alleged union busting and unfair labor practices.
Palea president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chairman Gerry Rivera said that some 3,700 members of the group have started voting at 9 a.m. and will run until 12 a.m.
At this time, voting is ongoing in an “orderly and peaceful fashion” in all PAL offices in Manila, the airports of Cebu and Davao, and even other stations in 14 cities nationwide, Rivera said.
He also insisted on the legality of the conduct of a strike vote, amid contrary statements by the PAL management.
“In form, the strike vote is simply an exercise of the freedom of speech. We want to gauge the sentiments of Palea members. More than that, the strike vote is also a requirement of the law. So how can it be illegal and inappropriate?” Rivera said in reaction to the statement of PAL that the strike vote was illegal since the issues raised are now pending before the Office of the President (OP).
But Rivera said the issue pending at the OP is another issue, which was PAL’s outsourcing plan.
“The strike vote should not be a threat to anybody, not Malacanang, not even PAL. So we are wondering why PAL management is afraid of the strike vote. Don’t they want to know the opinions of their employees?” Rivera added.
A notice of strike was filed by Palea last November 5 for alleged unfair labor practices and union busting by PAL, stemming from the flagship carrier’s managers’ alleged efforts to convince individual employees to accept the planned mass layoff.
The final tally of the strike vote is expected after midnight tonight, Rivera said.
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