PALEA: PNoy should push PAL to open talks to resolve issue not threaten protesting workers

Press Release

September 28, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) dismissed President Benigno Aquino’s announcement that government is considering filing a case of economic sabotage against the union as it vowed to continue the protest against contractualization. Almost a thousand PALEA members and their supporters from church and labor groups are now picketing the PAL In-Flight Center along

MIA Road

near Terminal 2.

“Instead of asking Philippine Airlines to open talks with PALEA on how to resolve the dispute, now threatens workers in protest to air their grievances. Apparently PNoy’s boss is Lucio Tan not ordinary workers,” said Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM)

Rivera also contested President Aquino’s claim that PALEA had promised to provide a 24-hour notice for its protest action. “We do not know where he got that. But it is fact that PALEA had repeatedly called on PAL to resolve the dispute but to no avail. Thus PALEA announced publicly that it will hold a protest without notice but PAL foolishly dismissed our declaration and instead assured the public that disruption of flights will not happen,” Rivera asserted.

He added that “The loss of job is also economic sabotage by a capitalist to the worker. PAL is guilty of 2,600 counts of economic sabotage. Why is PNoy not considering that?”