PAL layoff due to 'corporate greed,' not COVID-19 — labor group
MANILA, Philippines — A labor group on Saturday questioned the termination of hundreds of Philippine Airlines personnel reportedly to cut costs after suffering losses from flight suspensions and travel restriction caused by the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019.
The airline company on Friday let go of 300 workers consisting of ground-based administrative and management personnel.
A source from PAL later told Philstar.com that of the figure, only around 200 workers were laid off while about a hundred were offered voluntary separation with benefits.
“The streamlining will strengthen the company in the wake of losses sustained in 2019, aggravated by the ongoing travel restrictions and flight suspensions to areas affected by COVID-19,” the flag carrier said on Friday.
RELATED: PAL lays off 300 workers as losses mount
Defend Jobs Philippines said that they do not accept PAL’s "alibi,” claiming that corporate greed instead is the "major reason for the gradual slashing down of its workforce."
“We condemn this utmost grand display of deception of the PAL management just to justify this new round of massive termination of its workers. We suggest for PAL admin to try harder next time in making incredible alibis and justifications just to cover-up its anti-labor actions,” Defend Jobs Philippines spokesperson Thadeus Ifurung said in a Saturday release.
The labor leader claimed that massive terminations had been taking place at the airline even before the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Endo-virus and union busting-virus — and not coronavirus — are the real reasons behind the massive termination of workers in PAL over the past decades,” he said.
“Unlike with COVID, there is no vaccine that can cure corporate greed and the phobia of this airline company of losing profit.”
The labor group called the attention of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to probe the issue, as well as the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to respond to what it sees as a string of anti-labor actions by companies.
“The Duterte government must raise red flag, craft plans and initiate decisive actions to defend the jobs of our workforce in the light of the series of massive lay-offs and displacement of thousands of Filipino workers, following the impending plant shutdowns of Honda, Nokia, Wells Fargo, Nissan among others,” Ifurung said.
- Latest
- Trending
