PAL: Strike may scare more tourists

CEBU, Philippines – The management of flag carrier Philippine Airlines yesterday assured the riding public of continued and unhampered service despite a notice of strike filed by its cabin crew union.

"PAL's operations remain normal and all flights are operating as scheduled. There is no immediate work stoppage," PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said in a state-ment.

However, PAL said the notice of strike filed by the Flight Attendants' and Stewards' Association of the Philippines (FASAP) is untimely as it would scare away tour-ists and can cause further damage to the flag carrier's fragile finances.

"We are saddened by the union's decision, but we recognize their right to file a notice of strike," Villaluna said. She added the union's move is untimely in the wake of thousands of Hong Kong and Chinese tourists canceling their forward bookings in the aftermath of the Rizal Park hostage tragedy. "A strike threat doesn't help in efforts to lure back tourists to the country."

She added the management is willing to sit down again with FASAP leaders to discuss and settle any pending issues in the 2007-2010 collective bargaining agreement.

Villaluna said FASAP's claims that they are overworked and underpaid are without factual basis. "PAL's cabin attendants receive an average gross monthly salary ranging from P30,000 to 80,000. They also enjoy enviable rest periods."

She also refuted accusations of age and gender discrimination. "The early retirement age is part of the negotiated CBA FASAP leaders signed on two separate dates. They complain of alleged inequity of early retirement provisions when in fact the older batch of FASAP members, including the union leaders themselves, have been receiving and enjoying financial benefits in exchange for the younger retirement age of their colleagues," Villaluna stressed.

Meanwhile, militant labor group Partido ng Manggagawa warned the on-going labor row would deteriorate further once the Department of Labor and Employment grants the go signal for PAL to embark on a massive contractualization scheme, which is being opposed vigorously by the Philippine Airlines Employees Association, the air-line's ground crew union.

PALEA has been opposing the planned massive layoff and outsourcing of PAL's core functions such as passenger handling, ramp and cargo handling and customer care units to third party service providers.

PM chairman and former labor partylist Rep. Renato Magtubo said that the plan would affect the job security of at least 2,600 employees who are intended to become contractual workers.

Sensing a looming strike scenario in PAL, Magtubo urged the Aquino government to make an advance crisis management plan on this issue to avoid repeating a major disorder that attended the recent hostage crisis in Manila.

"This is definitely bigger than the recent hostage crisis as it involves thousands of workers facing job loss, discrimination, and deteriorating working conditions in PAL," said Magtubo in a statement furnished to The FREEMAN.

The labor leader said the proper way of state intervention on this problem is to prevent PAL from enforcing its illegal, anti-labor and discriminatory policies such as the planned contractualization of its ground employees and the forced early retirement plan for its female cabin crews.

Magtubo further said the FASAP and PALEA have the support of almost all the organized labor groups in the country as well as other advocacy groups that are strongly opposed to contractualization and discrimination in the labor sector.

PAL's flight crew union filed a notice of strike the other day citing the management's bad faith in negotiations as their new collective bargaining agreement already dragged for three years.

FASAP, on the other hand, is opposing PAL's plan to have its female cabin crews retire upon reaching 40 years old. (FREEMAN)