PAL service providers start filling in gaps in operations

Manila Standard Today
October 4, 2011
By Eric B. Apolonio

BELEAGUERED Philippine Airlines, wracked by the mass actions of most of its rank-and-file, is slowly but surely filling the vacuum left by its former personnel.

PAL president and COO Jaime Bautista said the flag carrier---with its new service providers and corps of volunteers---is determined to see the airline through the difficult transition phase.

“We must understand that [the airline’s service providers] were required by [the Department of Labor and Eemployment] and Malacanang to absorb all former PAL employees. Now that these workers have shown that they’re not interested, the service providers are working double-time to recruit the people they need,” he said.

On Monday, PAL operated 93 “green and go” flights--54 international and 39 domestic—at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Sixty seven cancelled flights were reported, with 11 from international and 56 from domestic, while 22 domestic flights were transferred to Terminal 3 for take-off due to operational requirements.

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association charged that union busting was the real aim of management’s outsourcing plan.

Palea president Gerry Rivera said they will not mind if Bautista does not recognize them as a matter of personal grudge against the union.

“But the law recognizes us as the sole representative of PAL workers pending the resolution of the case filed before the courts on the legality of the outsourcing scheme. We remain Palea officers and we will officially represent our members in whatever forum, including with that of the management,” Rivera said.

PAL warned former employees against staging protests in front of the PAL Inflight Center building which would hamper the flow of PAL’s business.

Bautista also said ex-Palea members must clear the PAL Inflight Center premises because as former employees they have no legal personality to invoke a union stand.

“If they are sincere in helping the airline, I urge them to cross over and sign up with the service providers. Instead of engaging in forms of harassment and attempting to block entrance and exits of a PAL facility, they should channel their energies into helping the company in its transition period,” Bautista said.