PALEA, PM picket Qantas office, Oz embassy in support of Qantas workers

Press Release

October 31, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) picketed the Qantas office and Australian embassy in a show of solidarity for the embattled workers of the Australian flag carrier. “We extend the hand of solidarity to our brothers and sisters who are for fighting for job security, decent pay and better working conditions. The struggles they are waging mirror the same demands that we are currently fighting for at PAL,” declared Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and PM vice chair.

Some 50 members of PALEA and PM held picketed the Qantas office at a building in Paseo de Roxas in Legaspi Village, Makati by 11:00 a.m. After holding a short program and chanting slogans in support of Qantas workers, the group then proceeded to the Australian embassy in the RCBC Plaza along

Ayala Ave.

“Ang laban ng Qantas ay laban ng PALEA. We are all Qantas workers,” the protesters shouted. Rivera explained that “PALEA condemns the drive by Qantas to slash labor costs, undercut labor standards and weaken job security, all in the name of competitiveness. This is a mere myth as Qantas top management has taken salary hikes while forcing sacrifices on workers.”

Meanwhile PALEA dismissed a PAL announcement that it is readying charges against people who blocked a catering truck from leaving the In-Flight Center (IFC). “It is PAL’s habit to threaten its workers in a futile effort at intimidation. They threatened administrative cases against employees for joining mass actions and they said they will file an illegal strike charge but none come of it. But this time, the threat is also a means for PAL to divert attention from its culpability in the violent daybreak attack on the PALEA protest camp which led to the death of one bystander and injuries to seven of our members. PAL’s best defense is offense,” Rivera insisted.

He added that “PAL could only invent the lamest excuse—that PALEA foisted the attack on its own campout. Unfortunately for PAL and its outsourced goons-provider, one of the attackers was caught and gave some damning admission. But the bigger question that people should ask is this: Why does PAL want the IFC to operate when it has declared that the airport services, call center reservations and catering departments have been closed? If Sky Kitchen and Sky Logistics need the IFC then these are illegal labor-only contractors not independent service providers.”

PALEA and PM also criticized the Australian labor court called Fair Work Australia (FWA) for “surrendering to the lockout blackmail of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.” In a ruling, the FWA lifted the lockout but also stopped strikes by the three Qantas unions. “Workers now have 21 days within which to negotiate with the hardline Qantas management without the leverage of strike action. In the face of intransigence by Qantas, only industrial action can force employers to heed the demands of workers,” Rivera argued.

 The Qantas union Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) had expressed solidarity for PALEA after some 2,400 its members were retrenched as part of a controversial outsourcing scheme that has been slammed as “a bid to demolish job security and also bust the union.”

PAL hiding behind ghost “goons-provider” to evade culpability – PM

PRESS RELEASE

30 October 2011

The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) accuses the Philippine Airlines (PAL) management of hiding behind the ghost of a “goons-provider” it hired to free itself of any responsibility from the expected violent outcome  of its planned clearing operation of PALEA’s protest camp.

PM’s accusation came after PAL denied any involvement from the goons’ Saturday attack on PALEA’s protest camp which resulted to the death of one bystander and physical injuries to at least eight PALEA members who valiantly defended the camp.

The labor group had been supporting PALEA in their fight against mass layoff and contractualization.  It likewise accused PAL owner Lucio Tan, whom it denounces as the real economic saboteur, of using his money and influence in getting favorable decisions from all branches of government.

“The Saturday attack was well planned from the recruitment stage to the actual dispersal operations.  Of course the bright minds of Estelito Mendoza won’t allow PAL President Jaime Bautista to do the actual recruitment of thugs from depressed communities.  Like the service providers that were contracted out by PAL to replace its regular workers, the formation of a demolition team to break PALEA’s camp-out was likewise outsourced to a qualified goons-provider,” stated PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

Miranda disclosed that PALEA had in fact been informed by a reliable source of the possible attack, prompting the union to file a blotter at a nearby police station informing the authorities of an imminent danger, a day before the actual attack happened. (See attached copy of the blotter).

“Paid and armed with obviously supplied batons and security shields, goons did strike on Saturday.  And according to witness accounts, they were being commanded by a security personnel inside a van parked along the MIA road,” said Miranda.

Miranda added, “PAL was very quick to distance itself from the incident upon learning of the bungled expedition by the goons-provider.  It even blamed PALEA for a security guard’s own fault of trying to use a fire extinguisher against the protesters just to conceal its behind the scene involvement in the whole operation.”

PAL, Miranda said, should not be allowed to evade culpability from the injuries suffered by PALEA members, as well as to the death of a bystander who suffered a heart attack in the midst of the melee.

The labor group called on all concerned government agencies to conduct thorough and impartial investigations of the incident.

PALEA decries PAL’s harassment of protest camp

Press Release

October 30, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) decried the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) for its continuing harassment of the protest camp outside the In-Flight Center (IFC) along

MIA Road

. “Two weeks before yesterday’s daybreak attack on the PALEA campout, PAL management started engaging in dirty tricks to harass the hundreds of members staying at the camp. It began with putting containers of rotting food along the gates and walls adjacent to the campout. Then early this week, loud music was blasted from speakers inside the IFC towards the protest camp,” Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa revealed.

Rivera also slammed PAL for refusing to fly PALEA members who have already been issued tickets as part of their employee benefits before they were retrenched. “We have a member who flew to the US a week ago on a trip pass benefit but we have received a report that PAL is refusing to honor her return trip unless she signs up for the service provider. We are now consulting with our lawyers since PAL is possibly in violation of its commercial obligations under the law.” he explained.

“This petty persecution also reveals PAL’s desperate need for the skilled work of PALEA members even as it puts up a brave front that flights are normalizing under the untrained and overworked scabs now running its operations. Woe to PAL that there are now more ghosts than people riding its planes during the Halloween peak season,” Rivera exclaimed.

Rivera also argued that “Its renewed attempt to disperse PALEA’s campout is exposing PAL’s lies. PAL claims that the 2,400 PALEA members cannot be accepted back to work since the airport services, in-flight catering and call center reservations departments have been closed and outsourced. So how come PAL insists that the IFC which houses the catering department is essential to its operations? This bolsters our contention that Sky Kitchen is an illegal labor-only contractor and thus PAL needs to allow it access to the facilities of the IFC so it can provide catering service.”

PALEA has already complained to the concerned barangay officials. “PAL’s dirty trick against the protest camp is not just endangering the safety and health of PALEA members but also the residents of the nearby community of Baltao. The odious odor, swarm of flies and loud noise are a health hazard to everyone within hundreds of meters. In fact it even imperils PAL’s own security guards who are forced to cover their noses and possibly wear ear plugs as they have no choice but to follow management orders,” Rivera asserted.

PALEA has already rebuilt the tents destroyed in yesterday’s attack by “hired  goons” as confirmed by one the attackers who was caught. “Despite it being the eve of the day the dead, the forces of good overcame the forces of darkness, workers unity defeated corporate greed. As we earlier vowed, PALEA will defend its ‘occupy protest’ camp,” Rivera insisted.

PM condemns PAL for employing hired goons to break PALEA protest camp

PRESS RELEASE

29 October 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) condemned the daybreak attack carried out today by hired goons believed to be employed by the Philippine Airlines (PAL) to break PALEA’s protest camp. 

At around 5:45 this morning, some 40 hired goons armed with long sticks and led by someone with a handgun entered the back entrance of PALEA’s protest camp while most protesters were still sleeping and started tearing down tents prompting PALEA members to fight back.  The attack was effectively repelled but four (4) PALEA members were hurt during the scuffle and three (3) tents were destroyed.  PALEAns were able to apprehend one of the hired goons who was brought to a nearby police station for appropriate legal action.

“This is the second time that PAL carried out a failed attempt to break PALEA’s picketline.  And we see more attacks coming as PAL desperately wanted the protest camp cleared to show the world that everything is normal at Terminal 2.  Unfortunately Lucio Tan’s failed outsourcing/contractualization scheme can’t be hidden and on the contrary, is getting more indignation from the public,” said  PM secretary general Judy Ann Miranda.

 At 11:00 am, hundreds of PALEA members held an indignation rally against the dispersal attempt. Miranda also scored Malacanang and labor officials for allowing these things to happen as if harassment and intimidation are normal things that can be carried out by owners of capital against labor’s legitimate protest.

“On the eve of Halloween, the bad spirits of greedy corporations are haunting the workers. This is the second time that PAL has attempted to disperse PALEA’s campout but they are getting more brazen,” exclaimed Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and PM vice chair.

“We heard about ‘all out justice’ from PNoy in response to the Basilan hostilities.  But we haven’t heard about ‘labor justice’ in relation to the ongoing class war between PALEA and Lucio Tan.  Was it because in this class war PNoy had taken the side of Lucio Tan?,” lamented Miranda. 

The labor group reiterated its call for President Aquino to cause the reinstatement with full rights of the 2,600 employees locked out by PAL on October 1, 2011.

“There is no ‘all out justice’ without labor justice,” adds Miranda.

PALoween protest

The attack was carried out this morning while PALEAns start their day preparing for their “PALoween Protest”. 

The “PALoween Protest” is their way of celebrating the Halloween season in the protest camp.  After the indignation rally this morning, ‘ghosts’ of regular workers wandered along MIA Road looking for their lost jobs and constitutional rights.  A PALoween program follows inside the protest camp in the afternoon followed by a PALoween music jam in the evening.

The attack on PALEA’s camp out came just hours after a string of solidarity actions for PALEA in three in the United States. US unions and Filipino-American organizations participated in the pickets at the Philippine consulates in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago.

US unions, Fil-Am community stages solidarity actions for PALEA

Press Release

October 28, 2011

PALEA

Labor unions and the Filipino-American community staged a picket at the Philippine consulate and ticketing office of Philippine Airlines (PAL) this morning (noon of October 27 in San Francisco, California) in support of the Philippine Airline Employees’ Association (PALEA). A delegation met Philippine Deputy Consul General Alfonso Ver and submitted a letter of concern to regarding the plight of 2,400 PALEA members who were laid off.

Participants in the picket include leaders and members of the unions IAMAW, San Francisco Labor Council, UNITE-HERE Local 2, and NUHW and representatives from Filipino-American groups such as the Filipino Community Center, NAFCON, Alliance Philippines and Worldwide Filipino Alliance.

Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa, sent a message from the Philippines. He said that “We appreciate the solidarity of our brother and sister unionists in the US and of our kababayans in the Bay Area, especially the support of IAMAW which represents customer service agents of PAL at the San Francisco International Airport. PAL’s outsourcing plan is an example of the corporate greed that has earned the outrage of working people in the America and the world. Organized action by workers is the antidote to the organized greed of corporations.”

Later today (6:30 pm, October 27 in Los Angeles) another picket is to be held at the Philippine consulate in Los Angeles. The solidarity action in LA is led by Filipino-American groups Alliance Philippines, Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace and Bantay Pilipinas-LA. Tonight (9:00 am, October 28 in Chicago), a similar action at the Philippine consulate in Chicago will be held by UNITE-HERE and UE unions.

The protesters picketed the Philippine consulate and PAL office for an hour and distributed flyers to passersby. Among the points raised by the delegation to Consul General Ver is that in allowing the controversial outsourcing scheme, the Philippine government is possibly in violation of internationally recognized conventions protecting workers’ freedom of association, right to collective bargaining and right to peaceful concerted actions including strikes. They also expressed concern that airline service is deteriorating and passenger safety is put at risk by the untrained and overworked replacement workers who are now operating PAL flights, including the transpacific route which conveys many US nationals.

The solidarity actions in SF and LA coincided with the 30^th day of the mass termination of PAL employees, a PALEA motorcade protest around the Manila International Airport and a call by the Migrant Forum in Asia group for OFW’s to boycott PAL until it heeds the demand of PALEA for workers to return to their regular jobs.

More pictures at: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=256402674412155&notif_t=video_comment#!/media/set/?set=a.256360341083055.75680.100001272721169&type=3

And also: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=256402674412155&notif_t=video_comment#!/media/set/?set=a.256365914415831.75681.100001272721169&type=3

Video at: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2505795011397

Another video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=256402674412155&notif_t=video_comment#!/photo.php?v=256402674412155&set=vb.100001272721169&type=2&theater