Press Release
December 16, 2011
PALEA
Just
as truck drivers and longshore workers got the support of Occupy
rallyists in the US, the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association
(PALEA) received the solidarity of Occupy protesters in Canada. Occupy
Toronto activists together with Canadian airline unions held a
solidarity action at the Toronto international airport last December 10.
Last Tuesday various ports along the West Coast such as Oakland, Los
Angeles and Portland were shutdown by community pickets of Occupy
protesters with the support of port workers who refused to cross the
picketlines. As is the practice in Occupy protests, the Toronto rally
was called a “general assembly” and speeches were “echoed” by the
participants.
The
series of solidarity actions for PALEA continued with a picket at the
Tokyo office of Philippine Airlines (PAL) by Japanese railway workers
last December 12. On December 14 another rally was held at the
Philippine consulate in Melbourne that was attended by PALEA vice
president Alnem Pretencio, the head of the two million-strong Australian
Council of Trade Unions Geraldine Kearney and leaders of the Australian
Services Union which represents airline workers including Qantas,
Maritime Union of Australia, Victorian Trades Hall Council and Australia
Asia Worker Links.
Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of the Partido ng Manggagawa, said that “We
salute the Occupy shutdown of the West Coast ports to demand justice
for truck drivers and longshore workers. The fight for better pay, job
security and union rights is a common struggle of port workers, airline
employees and workers around the world. PALEA stands shoulder to
shoulder with Occupy protesters.”
The
latest series of solidarity actions for PALEA is the second wave after
earlier rallies staged in late October to early November in Washington
DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Renato Magtubo, chair of PM and co-chair of the Church-Labor Conference, declared that “The
latest rallies in support of PALEA are a level up from earlier actions
since the call for a boycott of Lucio Tan-owned PAL and Air Philippines
are explicitly expressed. The widespread boycott campaign will hurt PAL
since the regional flights to Australia and Japan, and the transpacific
flights to the US are among its most profitable operations.” He added that “The fact that PAL is having a promo during the Christmas peak season belies its claims that its operations are back to normal.”
Rivera claimed that “The
convergence between the youth-led Occupy protests and the workers
struggles for wages, jobs and rights is a welcome development. Social
change will come from the unity and action of the 99%.”
For a video of the Toronto action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
For photos of the Melbourne action: https://www.facebook.com/
For photos of the Tokyo action: https://www.facebook.com/
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