April 21, 2010 07:46:00
Cebu Daily News
THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) is ready in the event 400 employees of the Philippine Airlines will leave their duties at the airport to protest the airline's plan for a mass layoff.
Danilo Francia, MCIA general manager, said that he didn't know if the PAL restructuring would affect the MCIA.
Francia however assured the MCIAA has ready procedures to follow if employees hold a strike.
He said he would not allow the PAL employees to hold any protest action in the airport premises especially in areas where passengers would be processed.
He said he had already advised all the airline companies to inform them of any peculiarities in their operations so that they could plan out well the actions to take.
PAL in a statement said that the laying off of workers was just the second part of their restructuring program. Late last year, the airline implemented the early retirement program for their employees.
Francia said the MCIAA was not too worried with the latest PAL developments if flight operations were to be considered because PAL no longer holds the most number of flights, Cebu Pacific does.
PAL in a press statement said the restructure of the company includes the spin-off of three non-core units effective on May 31.
The affected units are in-flight catering services, airport services, and call center reservations. Airport services include ground handling, pass\enger handling, cargo terminal and ramp handling.
The airline cited losses brought about by the global economic crisis, the oil price increases and the blacklisting of most Asian carriers in the European Union as the reason for the restructuring.
Members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea) said they were ready to protest to stop the company from removing their employees.
Eutiquio Bulambot, Palea president in Cebu, said that the company just wanted to put workers under contractualization.
He said the union believes that the company was doing well. He cited cases in Cebu where the airline denied boarding because of overbooking of flights.
He said that Cebu PAL employees were just waiting for Manila union leaders to organize a nationwide action./Correspondent Carine M. Asutilla
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