Workers want RP-US air pact abrogated

The RP-US Air Transport Agreement (ATA) scheduled for implementation in October this year is highly onerous and favors American airlines, labor groups said as they called for the immediate abrogation of the pact.

In a forum attended by big and small labor organizations in Quezon City recently, labor leaders belonging to the National Confederation of Labor (NCL), National Labor Union (NLU), Association of Democratic Labor Organizations (ADLO), Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Link (APWSL), National Alliance of Federated Labor Unions (NAFLU) and other groups said the agreement will only pave the way for the complete domination of American carriers over Philippine sky.

"Our local airlines will collapse and thousands of workers from the aviation sector and other industries will lose their jobs," lawyer Ernesto Arellano, NCL president, said.

The labor groups said under the RP-US ATA, Philippine carriers will be subject to route and gateway restrictions and market barriers that curtail operational viability and fair access to the US market.

On the other hand, American carriers have no route restrictions and enjoy virtually unlimited access rights to the Philippines, including passenger and cargo traffic between the Philippines and third countries, they said.

Because of US domestic "cabotage" restrictions, access by Philippine carriers to the US market is also severely restricted. Thus, Philippine carriers are forced to operate long and unprofitable flights between US points like Honolulu-Los Angeles.

"Without cabotage rights, Philippine carriers are effectively barred from serving the allowed 16 US interior points. Entering into a code-sharing arrangement with a US domestic carrier to overcome this limitation would be expensive, and ultimately self-defeating." The workers said.

The US has also imposed restrictions on the number and choice of US destinations that Philippines carriers can serve non-stop, forcing flights to be routed via specific US gateways.

On the other hand, US airlines have unlimited fifth freedom access rights between the Philippines and most Asian countries and the right to fly from any US point to any Philippine destination with no routing restrictions, mandatory stopovers or gateway service requirements.

"You will immediately see the unfairness of the agreement. There is no equal exchange of rights," said Romy Sauler, another labor leader.

ED Oredina, chairman of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association mobilization committee, said, "This is an open skies agreement that greatly favors the American carriers."

"In 1994, 183 countries belonging to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) met in Montreal, Canada, to oppose open skies and reiterate their adherence to gradual, progressive and orderly air liberalization," he added.