PAL emergency plan up

Manila Standard Today
by Jeremiah F. de Guzman

The Transportation Department ordered flag carrier Philippine Airlines to put contingency measures in place to prevent disruption in its operation amid strike threats from its ground crew.

“With or without strike, the contingency plan should be in place, ready to be deployed at moment’s notice,” Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas said in a statement Monday.

He said while the dispute between PAL’s management and employees fell under the jurisdiction of the Labor Department, Transportation would intervene to protect the public’s interest if the PAL Employees’ Association made good its threat.

Malacañang last week affirmed the Labor Department’s earlier decision to allow PAL to outsource its catering, call center and ground-handling services to third parties. The plan will affect over 2,600 employees, but will save PAL billions in operating costs.

Palea rejected management’s invitation for a dialogue and instead held a protest motorcade on Monday, saying the move would serve as the union’s “last line of defense against contractualization.”

“We understand that the labor dispute presents a difficult problem both for PAL and Palea, but it should not stand in the way of PAL’s commitment to serve the public,” Roxas said.

He said PAL should consider augmenting workforce from sister companies such as AirPhil Express.

The transport chief added other local airlines should assist PAL in case the work stoppage paralyzed its operations.

“In this situation, it is no longer a matter of one airline competing against each other. Disruption will not just put PAL in a bad light, but the entire Philippine air travel as well. Business rivalries end where duty to the public begins,” Roxas said.

PAL said it had prepared a comprehensive contingency plan in case the union pursued work stoppage.

“PAL has had contingency plan in place for more than a year now amid ongoing labor dispute with PAL union,” PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna said.

She said the carrier was ready to deploy management staff to fill the ground workers’ posts. PAL earlier said it would transfer passengers to PAL’s 134 partner airlines in case of flight disruptions.

“Ideally, what we want is a smooth implementation of these outsourcing plan,” Villaluna said.

“Amid these strike threats, we would like to assure the public that we have contingency measures in place,” she said.