PALEA pickets hotel for PAL volunteers; all systems go for big protest on Wednesday

Press Release

October 10, 2011

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) picketed this morning the Charter House in Makati where replacement workers of Philippine Airlines (PAL) from outlying stations in the provinces are billeted. “We appeal to our fellow PAL employees from the provinces not to be used as scabs by management against PALEA. Go home, your families need you and so does PALEA,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa.

Rivera also announced that “all systems go” for the big protest rally on Wednesday at the PALEA protest camp near Terminal 2. “Two weeks after the lockout and termination of 2,600 PAL employees, PALEA’s will to fight and win is not broken by the intransigence of management and collusion of government. Despite PAL and government’s professed concern for the riding public, they are willing to sacrifice normal operations in the hope that PALEA’s determination will collapse as the days go by. Heaven continuously showers the picketers with blessings as PALEA’s protest will go on until we return to our regular jobs,” Rivera insisted.

Some 50 PALEA members held the picket at 10:30 am today outside the Charter House in Legaspi Village. They held placards with the messages “Makiiisa sa PALEA, Wag magpagamit sa PAL,” “Ipinaglaban ka ng PALEA noon, Manindigan ka sa PALEA ngayon,” “Isipin ang kinabukasan, Wag ang kasalukuyan,” “Wag ipagpalit sa P1,000/day ang ating kinabukasan” and “Itaguyod ang passenger safety, Wag mag-iskirol.”

“We call on Filipino workers, especially those who are contractuals, and all our kababayans who oppose contractualization to join the rally on Wednesday. The big protest is inspired by and in support of the

Occupy Wall Street

movement against corporate greed and for social justice,” Rivera explained.

He added that “On Wednesday the long hands of solidarity extend across the thousands of miles from the Philippines to our brothers and sisters in the US. One common thread ties protesters in Wall Street with PALEA members—the fight for a better future for workers and their families.”

Labor groups supporting PALEA will stage a rally on Thursday in Mendiola to call on President Benigno Aquino III to resolve the labor dispute and normalize PAL operations by ordering the return of PALEA members to their regular jobs. Rivera raised the question to Pnoy, “Sino ba ang boss mo, ang manggagawa o si Lucio?”