PALEA protests continue with picket at DOLE vs. order stopping strike

Press Release

April 4, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) shifts gear as it troops to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) main office for a protest against the order of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz enjoining the planned massive strike at Philippine Airlines. “The strike may have been postponed but protests continue with today’s picket at the DOLE as a start. In the coming days we will be holding a workers caravan together with big labor groups to call for a stop to contractualization. These mass actions will serve as the run up to the coming Labor Day celebration,” said Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Some 100 PALEA and PM members picketed the DOLE main office in Intramuros at 10:30 a.m. A few of the protesters had tapes on their mouth and their hands were bound to symbolize the suppression of the right to strike. The group also burned a caricature of PAL owner Lucio Tan who was visualized as the devil satan. The protesters also tore copies of the Baldoz order against the PALEA strike.

“Baldoz is an anti-labor secretary. It is strike two for her as far as PAL workers are concerned. First, her order allowed the planned outsourcing and layoff of some 2,600 workers. Now, a second order preventing PAL workers from holding a strike against PAL’s unfair labor practice. This is DOLE’s double standard: capitalists have the freedom to abuse their employees under the cover of management prerogative but the workers are denied the right to defend themselves by assumption and jurisdiction orders,” Rivera explained.

PALEA also lambasted deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte for threatening PAL workers with an illegal strike should they defy the Baldoz order. “We thank Valte for again proving that Malacanang is collaborating with Lucio Tan. PAL management and Malacanang officials are singing in chorus to warn PALEA members with punishment should we defy the Baldoz order. This apparently is the labor policy of PNoy: A soft handshake to Lucio Tan for terminating 2,600 workers but a hard stick for workers trying to defend their rights,” Rivera insisted.

On April 6, PALEA and its supporters will meet with Catholic Bishop Broderick Pabillo to map out coordinated moves. The groups are planning a series of mass actions including a big protest on May 1. The labor unity network seek to galvanize public opinion in support of PALEA’s campaign against contractualization. Among the planned activities are workers assemblies, advocates fora and a labor caravan around industrial areas and ecozones.

PALEA also revealed that the case they plan to file with the International Labor Organization against government’s suppression of the conventions on the right to self-organization and collective bargaining, and the complaint will be stronger with the latest DOLE order as further evidence.

Urban poor greet PNoy with picket, call for moratorium on demolitions

Press Release

April 4, 2011

Urban poor members of the Alyansa ng Maralitang Pilipino (AMP) and the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) greeted President Benigno Aquino with a picket as he attended an activity of the local government of Paranaque. Some 100 AMP and PM members in Paranaque positioned themselves in front of the Paranaque City hall as early as 7:30 a.m. today, chanted slogans and held placards with the messages “Moratorium sa Demolisyon at Ebiksyon, Ipatupad!” and “Marahas na Demolisyon at Ebiksyon, Ipatigil!”

AMP is a coalition of urban poor organization in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon that is campaigning for a moratorium on demolitions, reforms in the housing policy and housing security of informal settlers.

Ed Casuy, leader of the AMP-Paranaque, said that “We appeal to PNoy to make good on his campaign promise that he will declare a moratorium on demolitions and evictions. This is a promise that has remained unfulfilled to this day. Everyday that PNoy delays implementing a moratorium, more urban poor fall victim to illegal and violent demolitions and evictions.”

Casuy revealed that as recently as March 30 a violent demolition happened at the community of Cherry East Cul de Sac in Barangay Sun Valley, Paranaque that led to the injury of an old woman. “This is a private land inhabited by informal settlers who were illegally evicted without the processes required by law,” he clarified.

Another demolition occurred at the back of the Lorenzana area at the

Coastal Road

in San Dionisio, Paranaque. Some 19 families were illegally evicted by the Philippine Reclamation Authority, the former Public Estates Authority. The urban poor of Cherry East and back of Lorenzana both plan to file cases at the Commission on Human Rights. Casuy insisted that more communities of informal settlers are under threat of demolition.

He explained that “All these demolitions and evictions are happening due to the fact that a draft executive order for a moratorium remains unsigned by PNoy. The more that PNoy delays signing the draft moratorium order, the more urban poor with be denied the right to decent and secure housing. Akala naming kami ang boss ni PNoy pero bakit wala siyang aksyon sa aming kahilingan at di niya tinototoo ang kanyang pangako?”

AMP and PM were participants in a consultation process initiated by a task force on housing headed by Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government. An output of the consultation process was an executive summary of urban poor demands and a draft order instituting a moratorium that has been forwarded to Malacanang.

“Are vested interests with connections to key officials of PNoy blocking the draft moratorium order? Or has PNoy himself turned his back on his promise to the urban poor? The urban poor will not stop hounding PNoy in order to know the answer,” Casuy asked.

PALEA ready to defy DOLE order

Press Release

April 2, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) declared that it is ready to defy the order of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that enjoined the planned paralyzing strike at Philippine Airlines (PAL). “We are ready to defy the order of Labor Secretary Baldoz any time we deem it necessary to go on strike in order to prevent layoff and contractualization at PAL. Baldoz’ latest order is a bad April fool’s prank. But the order has not stopped a strike at PAL, it has merely postponed it to a date that PAL and the government cannot now know in advance,” stated Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa.

PALEA lambasted the certification order signed by Sec. Baldoz which was served on the union office as a mobilization of some two thousand PAL employees and supporters snarled traffic at the airport area. “The order is the last nail on the coffin of labor rights in the country. PNoy’s government is executing one by one the Constitutionally-guaranteed rights of workers to security of tenure, collective bargaining and peaceful concerted action including strikes. PNoy has not only legalized the actions of Lucio Tan but also illegalized the action PALEA through Baldoz’ order. But PALEA will resist being a victim of PNoy’s anti-labor policy,” Rivera elaborated.

Rivera called on the 3,700 members of PALEA to remain vigilant and ready to go on strike any time. PALEA plans to hold protests next week against the DOLE order in coordination with a labor unity coalition of moderate to militant workers groups. Among other activities, PALEA and other labor groups will picket the DOLE Intramuros main office and tear a copy of the order from Baldoz.

“The right to strike is a Constitutionally-protected freedom by workers to defend themselves against the awesome powers of capital. PNoy has taken the crooked path instead of the straight road by siding with Lucio Tan, the country’s second richest man and the workers number one enemy,” insisted Renato Magtubo, chair PM, one of big labor groups in solidarity with PALEA.

PALEA will meet the different labor groups today at the TUCP compound in Quezon City to map out joint activities. The groups seek to galvanize public opinion in support of PALEA’s campaign against contractualization. Among the planned activities are workers assemblies, advocates fora and a labor caravan around industrial areas and ecozones.

PALEA also revealed that the case they plan to file with the International Labor Organization against government’s suppression of the conventions on the right to self-organization and collective bargaining, and the complaint will be stronger with the latest DOLE order as further evidence.

All systems go for nationwide strike, Big labor unity rally today is dress rehearsal

Press Release
April 1, 2011
PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) today announced that it is all systems go for its first nationwide strike since 1998 even as the Department of Labor and Employment makes a last ditch mediation effort. Big labor groups together with PALEA will hold a big rally at the airport this afternoon as a dress rehearsal for the work stoppage which can happen any day after the lapse of the strike ban today.

“PALEA is 100% ready for a strike that will paralyze the operations of PAL that in cahoots with the Aquino government wants to deny workers the right to regular jobs and a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The only thing that can prevent a strike is for PAL to heed the demand to stop outsourcing and open CBA negotiations without preconditions,” declared Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

At 5:00 p.m. today, more than a thousand PAL employees and members of big labor groups such as PM, TUCP, APL, Makabayan, NCL, BMP, PSLINK, the unions of PLDT, PNR and Fortune Tobacco will hold a big rally and torch parade at the Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. “This mass action is an expression of the unity of the labor movement in the common fight for regular jobs and against the government’s policy of contractualization. This is also a dress rehearsal for the nationwide strike,” explained Rivera.

Synchronized mass actions will also be staged in the key international airports of Cebu and Davao. The labor unity rally will be at 11:00 a.m. in Davao and then later at 4:00 pm in Cebu. Meanwhile in Bacolod, a coalition of labor groups called All Workers Alliance for Regular Employment and Against Contractualization (AWARE AKO) led by PALEA, PM, TUCP and APL will hold a presscon at 10:00 a.m. today.

Rivera insisted that “PAL will earn $1.6 billion in profit this year. Yet it refuses to share the fruits of production with its employees via a CBA. PAL’s workers have already sacrificed with a 12-year CBA suspension that has resulted in the stagnation of wages, benefits and working conditions. In contrast Lucio Tan has become even richer as a result of CBA moratorium and outsourcing.”

PM joins labor unity torch parade for PALEA

Press Release
April 1, 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) will mobilize several hundred workers from factories in Metro Manila and Calabarzon for the labor unity march today at the airport. The PM contingent will assemble at 3:30 p.m. at Pasay Rotonda before marching to the PAL Nichols Gate 2 where a salubungan will transpire with PAL employees in full uniform. From there the labor unity march will proceed to the Our Lady of the Airways Parish at the corner of MIA Road and Sucat Road for the joint rally.

Renato Magtubo, PM national chair, stated that “The labor movement stands as one body and speaks with one voice. We condemn PNoy’s decision allowing the outsourcing at PAL which will lead to the termination of 2,600 employees and their shift as contractual workers in service providers. This sends the chilling message to the workers that contractualization is the labor policy of the Aquino administration. Si Lucio Tan pala ang boss ni PNoy.”

PM, together with other big labor groups, vowed to mobilize support when the PALEA strike breaks out. Besides labor groups, other sectors have expressed solidarity with PALEA. Human rights groups yesterday declared their opposition to the Office of the President decision as a transgression of economic and social rights. The support of key Catholic bishops for PALEA’s fight is also expected. Student and youth groups will likewise participate in the mass actions. The solidarity of international labor groups is forthcoming in the next few days.

Magtubo added that “Lucio Tan is the no. 2 richest Filipino but the no.1 workers enemy. A victory by PALEA against contractualization will be the victory of all Filipino workers.”

“PAL will layoff 2,600 employees while tens of thousands of OFW’s are returning from unrests and disasters abroad, and hundreds of thousands of college graduates enter the labor force this April. Where is PNoy’s employment policy then?” Magtubo asked.

He warned that “PNoy’s decision is a tsunami that will sweep the remaining protection enjoyed by workers. But the labor movement will struggle against this man-made disaster. PNoy’s trust ratings fell because of a car and it will dive further because of airplanes.”