PAL firm on outsourcing program

Manila Bulletin
By RAYMUND F. ANTONIO and LESLIE ANN AQUINO
October 3, 2011, 4:29am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Airlines (PAL) management stood pat in its decision Sunday to spin off the non-core businesses and said operations are being slowly normalized.

But PAL said it could take some weeks before operations return to 100 percent normal.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said the flag carrier is determined to see the airline through the difficult transition phase.

"PAL is slowly returning to normalcy,” Bautista said. He added that from the current 70 percent, the airline's flights will be back to pre-strike levels in the next few weeks.

It also ruled out the possibility of the members of the PAL Employees Association (PALEA) returning to work, saying they are no longer considered employees of the flag carrier as of Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011.

“As of midnight October 1, workers in our catering, ground handling, and call center reservations units have ceased to be PAL employees. Hence, they have no right to demand or tell the airline how to run its business,” said Bautista, in a statement.

The statement was issued on the heels of PALEA’s offer to go back to work and help normalize the airline’s operations on condition that the management halts its outsourcing program until the Supreme Court (SC) hands down a decision on the matter.

Last Saturday, some 2,600 members of the PALEA were officially terminated from work as PAL management implemented the outsourcing of three non-core businesses of the country’s flag carrier.