PALEA says FASAP is victim of Lucio Tan’s corruption; Bishop Pabillo mass will be highlight of protest tomorrow

Press Release

October 11, 2011

PALEA

In the wake of the recall by the Supreme Court of its supposed final ruling on the illegal dismissal case of 1,400 flight attendants, the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) expressed its support for the fight of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP). “Like PALEA, FASAP is also a victim of Lucio Tan’s greed and corruption. We call on all workers, especially contractuals, and Filipinos opposed to contractualization to come to the big protest for social justice and change,” declared Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo is celebrating a mass which will be the highlight of tomorrow’s rally that will last from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at PALEA’s protest camp along

MIA Road

. “PALEA and FASAP are concrete examples of how workers everywhere are losing jobs because of corporate greed and government corruption. The workers and the poor are the 99% of this country whose voices must be heard and whose grievances must be redressed,” asserted Renato Magtubo, PM national chair.

Rivera insisted that “We say to the Supreme Court: justice utterly delayed is justice absolutely denied. The protracted legal fight of FASAP for the 1,400 cabin crew is the reason we ask that the outsourcing of 2,600 ground employees be halted pending final decision by the courts. We do not want PALEA members and their families to suffer while waiting 13 years for a final Supreme Court decision which later upholds the illegality of the outsourcing plan.”

PALEA also lambasted PAL for its “wild allegation” that its members are harassing the scabs working for the flag carrier. “PAL is setting up the scenario for the police to dismantle the protest camp as a sequel to the forcible dispersal of protesting PALEA members last September 27. PAL’s scabs are being nagged by their guilty consciences but no one has been harassed. We are appealing to their sense of solidarity: ipinaglaban kayo ng PALEA noon, manindigan kayo para sa PALEA ngayon. Think of the safety of passengers for we know that you have been working overtime above eight hours a day for the last two weeks due to the shortage of skilled manpower,” Rivera explained.

He added that “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. Our fighting morale is sustained by the generous support from flight attendants, labor groups, church institutions and other sectors. Our will to win is inspired by the

Occupy Wall Street movement, the struggles by airline workers in Australia and the general strikes in Europe.”