PAL girds up as union calls for a strike today

by Vito Barcelo
Manila Standard Today
April 2, 2011

PHILIPPINE Airlines’ ground workers said Friday they will strike today despite the Labor Department’s efforts to keep the flag carrier’s operations from being disrupted.

More than 500 members of the PAL Employees Association said they will also rally at the airport after the ban preventing them from striking lapsed Friday.

“[The union] is 100 percent ready for a strike that will paralyze the operations of PAL that, in cahoots with the Aquino government, wants to deny workers the right to regular jobs and a collective bargaining agreement,” group president Gerry Rivera said.

“The only thing that can prevent a strike is for PAL to heed the demand to stop outsourcing and open CBA negotiations without preconditions.”

The airline said it was ready for the worst, and that many administrative employees and even union members were ready to man the posts to be vacated by protesting workers.

“We apologize to our passengers for whatever anxiety and inconvenience the threats of work stoppage have spawned,” airline president Jaime Bautista said.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that your flights will proceed as scheduled.”

Last week, the Palace affirmed a Labor Department ruling allowing the airline to lay off 2,600 employees as part of a program to spin off its ground service operations and outsource those services.

Rivera said other labor groups will join the ground workers at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Ground workers will also strike in Cebu and Davao.

“This mass action is an expression of the unity of the labor movement in the common fight for regular jobs and against the government’s policy of contractualization,” he said.

“This is also a dress rehearsal for the nationwide strike.”

Also on Friday, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz affirmed a previous decision favoring the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines in its collective bargaining agreement dispute with PAL management.

She ordered the airline to reinstate the eight flight pursers who were retired when their cases were still being reviewed.

The carrier served notices of retirement to eight senior flight attendants who turned 55 years old in January, but the flight attendants’ union challenged the the decision before the Labor Department.