Church groups to hold solidarity forum on PALEA

Press Release

September 26, 2011

PALEA

Church groups led by the Manila Archdiocesan Ministry for Labor Concerns (AMLC) is sponsoring a forum on the labor dispute at Philippine Airlines (PAL) in order to garner solidarity for the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) as the effectivity date of the termination of 2,600 workers loom large.

Meanwhile PALEA claimed that the defiance of PAL employees to the outsourcing plan is the real reason behind the flight cancellations announced by the flag carrier last Saturday. PAL said that it is cutting domestic flights by 30% and international flights by 12%. “PAL cannot operate on a 100% basis since they were not able to cajole and coerce enough employees to sign up for the service providers. No more than 15% of the affected workers have accepted the separation offer and even less than 7% have applied for work in the providers. PAL’s outsourcing plan cannot fly,” asserted Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

He added that “This fact also exposes the myth that the departments to be outsourced are non-core operations. If they are not essential to the business of flying, then how come PAL has to cut down flights due to the difficulties faced by the outsourcing plan?”

“We find that the action of PAL to contract-out the services of 2,600 workers is against the Catholic social teachings which promote dignity of work because of the principle of ‘Man over material things, Labor over Capital,’” declared Fr. Erik Adoviso, head of the AMLC which is an office under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila.

The solidarity forum for PALEA will be held on Wednesday afternoon at the Paco Catholic School. Aside from Rivera and Adoviso, the main speakers at the forum will be Fr. Marlon Lacal of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines and Renato Magtubo of PM. Representatives of parish pastoral councils, campus ministries, social service coordinators and lay organizations are expected to attend aside from priest and sisters in the Manila archdiocese. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, head of the CBCP-National Secretariat for Social Action and staunch PALEA supporter, will not be able to attend as he is abroad as of the moment.

PALEA legal counsels on the other hand are preparing complaints to be filed as incidents of scabs performing work of PAL employees continues to pile up. PALEA has reported that personnel of MacroAsia, a service provider owned by Lucio Tan, have tried servicing the catering requirements of Japan-bound flights. Also that PAL managers and non-PAL staff attempted to check-in passengers of flights to Cebu and Davao.

“We think serious violations not just of the labor code but of airport security and civil aviation regulations are occurring due to the entry of non-licensed personnel from other PAL departments and outside companies such as MacroAsia. We appeal to PAL to resolve the present labor dispute in order to prevent any inconvenience to its passengers and clients. But should PAL refuse to hear its employees’ legitimate grievances, then PALEA has no recourse but to fight back and defend our regular jobs,” Rivera insisted.

PALEA slams PAL for employing scabs

Commotion at Terminal 2 tarmac 24 Sept 2011

Press Release

September 25, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) today slammed Philippine Airlines (PAL) for illegally employing “scabs” in its operations. Yesterday a commotion occurred at the Terminal 2 tarmac as PALEA members confronted personnel of MacroAsia, a Lucio Tan-owned service provider, who were operating PAL catering trucks and planning to service Japan-bound flights of PAL. PALEA members were able to convince the MacroAsia employees to leave but airport police later arrived to investigate the incident.

“It is illegal for PAL to contract out jobs performed by its regular workers. Further, these workers are in effect scabs hired by PAL in the context of its labor dispute with PALEA. PALEA considers such incidents as provocations by PAL ahead of its impending lockout of workers on October 1,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa.

He explained that PAL has announced reductions in flights and has been forced to use other service providers or non-PALEA personnel since the outsourcing plan is facing difficulties. “Less than 15% of the affected employees have accepted the separation package and even less than 7% have signed up for work in the service providers Sky Logistics, Sky Kitchen and SPI Global. The outsourcing plan cannot fly,” Rivera insisted.

Also last Thursday, 15 managers and non-PALEA staff tried to check-in passengers bound for Cebu and Davao but were challenged by PALEA members in the passenger handling department. The managers and non-PALEA staff backed down and left.

“PALEA is already consulting our legal counsels on appropriate complaints to be filed. We believe serious violations not just of the labor code but of airport security and civil aviation regulations are occurring due to the entry of non-licensed personnel from other PAL departments and outside companies such as MacroAsia,” Rivera elaborated.

He added that “We call on personnel of MacroAsia, PAL staff from other departments and employees from outlying stations in the provinces who have been brought in supposedly for training to refrain from being used as scabs by management.”

As can be gleaned from postings on the union’s Sulong PALEANS! Facebook account, tensions are rising in the airport as employees continue to defy PAL’s outsourcing plan while management prepares for the intended lockout by the end of the month. One of the recent postings reveal that weight and balance functions—a critical pre-flight procedure—for Cebu and Davao flights were done remotely in Cebu and Davao respectively. The posting claims that safety is being compromised as a result.

“We appeal to PAL to resolve the present labor dispute in order to prevent any inconvenience to its passengers and clients. It should stop the outsourcing plan and instead open collective bargaining negotiations with the union. PALEA is open to discuss measures to make PAL viable except outsourcing. But should PAL refuse to hear its employees’ legitimate grievances, then PALEA has no recourse but to fight back and defend our regular jobs” Rivera insisted.

PALEA holds motorcade vs. temporary outsourcing plan

Press Release

June 13, 2011

PALEA

Dark clouds are gathering over the airport as another dispute over a temporary outsourcing arrangement threatens the tense calm between the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the union Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA). In a sign of renewed stormy labor relations, PALEA held a motorcade this afternoon to protest PAL’s plan to hire on June 16 contractual workers from Lucio Tan-owned service provider MacroAsia.

“We are ready to defend our jobs and the union if PAL does not back down from deploying contractual workers on Thursday. We call on PALEA members to remain vigilant until there is a firm commitment from PAL for direct hiring instead of temporary outsourcing,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair. As of today no agreement has been reached by management and the union on the issue.

PALEA members assembled by 2:30 p.m. at their headquarters in Paranaque for the protest action. The motorcade then proceeded to PAL’s In-Flight Center near the Centennial Terminal and then on to the Nichols gate where other company offices are located.

The national flag carrier is facing an acute manpower shortage for passenger handling due to the exodus of customer service agents who have sought greener pastures abroad. PAL asked PALEA for cooperation in allowing MacroAsia to work the departure gates for a period of six months.

The union immediately rejected the plan but offered to help in rehiring former PAL employees and recalling trainees who were not hired due to a freeze hiring program. Last June 9 PALEA submitted a partial list of people interested in the position of customer service agents.

The embattled union considers the temporary outsourcing plan a “backdoor implementation” of the controversial contractualization plan at PAL. The legality of the contractualization scheme is pending on appeal at the Office of the President while a related but separate case regarding PAL’s refusal to bargain with PALEA is due for decision at the National Labor Relations Commission. PALEA is also coordinating with the global union International Transport Workers Federation for a complaint to be filed at the International Labor Organization against the Philippine government and PAL management for violation of conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining.

PALEA is arguing that the temporary outsourcing of regular jobs to MacroAsia is a violation of the April 1 order of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz enjoining management and the union from engaging in any act that will exacerbate the labor dispute at PAL. Baldoz had imposed an assumption of jurisdiction order on the labor row at PAL which stopped PALEA from a planned strike last April.

Labor dispute erupts anew at PAL

Press Release

June 12, 2011

PALEA

Labor relations at Philippine Airlines (PAL) promises to become stormy again like the weather as the union Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) is opposing the national flag carrier’s plan to employ contractual workers of a service provider on June 16. PALEA returns to the streets tomorrow with a motorcade around the airport area to drum up resistance to the planned outsourcing.

“PALEA considers the temporary outsourcing of regular jobs to MacroAsia as a backdoor implementation of the controversial contractualization plan and a violation of the April 1 order of the Labor Secretary enjoining management and the union from engaging in any act that will exacerbate the labor dispute at PAL. If PAL pushes through with the plan on June 16, we will act accordingly to defend our jobs and the union,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chair.

Last April 1, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz imposed an assumption of jurisdiction order on the labor dispute at PAL which stopped PALEA from a planned strike and also enjoined the two parties from any acts that will worsen the labor dispute.

At 2:30 pm tomorrow, PALEA members will assemble at their headquarters in Paranaque for the motorcade that will proceed to PAL’s In-Flight Center near the Centennial Terminal and then on to the Nichols gate where other company offices are located.

“Tomorrow’s motorcade is just a preview of protests that will culminate on Thursday should PAL carry on with its de facto outsourcing plan despite our opposition and the Labor Secretary’s order,” insisted Rivera.

Last May 30, PAL informed PALEA of an acute manpower shortage for passenger handling due to the exodus of customer service agents who have sought greener pastures abroad and asked for the union’s cooperation in allowing MacroAsia to work the departure gates for a period of six months. PALEA rejected outright the proposal and suggested instead that the vacant positions be filled up by direct hiring instead of outsourcing to a service provider. PALEA even offered to help in rehiring former PAL employees and recalling trainees who were not hired due to a freeze hiring program.

Discussions between PAL and PALEA on these stop gap measures proceeded and last June 9 the union submitted a partial list of people interested in the position of customer service agents. “PALEA has extended the hand of assistance in solving the company’s manpower shortage. We expect that PAL will shake our hands in return instead of stabbing us in the back by outsourcing regular positions to contractual workers,” Rivera averred.