Photos of action at Melbourne airport at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.484791838239903.123818.100001272721169&type=1
Press
Release
December
12, 2012
PALEA
Airline
and other unions worldwide are demanding the reinstatement of members of the
Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) in a Global Day of Action today.
The supporters of PALEA leafleted Philippine Airlines flights out of the United
States, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong in a show of international solidarity.
“A
win for PALEA’s fight against outsourcing and contractualization will be a win
for all airline workers,” asserted the unions abroad that joined in the Global
Day of Action. Meanwhile PALEA members staged a mass action near the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport today in participation at the day of action.
The
management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) under the new president Ramon Ang
opened talks with PALEA last October after a year of protests in the country
and abroad. But talks have stalled over the demand for reinstatement. Thus in
the last few weeks, PALEA and the labor unity coalition Nagkaisa have launched four
rallies at the San Miguel Corp. headquarters in the Ortigas central business
district.
The
bitter labor row between PAL and PALEA and the continuing protests in the
Philippines and around the world threatens to upset the ambitious refleeting
and expansion plans of the flag carrier.
Aside
from reinstatement, PALEA and its global supporters are calling for the
dropping of criminal and civil charges against workers. Two PALEA members,
including a single mother, have been arrested and detained while warrants
remain outstanding for 37 other workers.
Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng
Manggagawa (PM) declared that “We frequently hear the alibi that outsourcing is
an international trend that workers have no choice but to bear. But the reality
is that resistance to outsourcing is a global phenomenon.”
Participating
in the Global Day of Action are the unions IAM Local 1781 in the San Francisco
airport; CAW-TCA Local 2002, IAM Local 2323, CUPE Local 4092 in Toronto’s
Pearson airport; the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Maritime Union of
Australia, the Victorian Trades Hall Council and the Australia Asia Workers
Link in Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport; and the Hong Kong Congress of Trade
Unions and the Alliance of Progressive Labor at the Hong Kong international
airport. Unite-HERE Local 5 in Honolulu staged the leafleting earlier last Saturday.
The
unions have vowed to continue leafleting PAL flights until the demand for
reinstatement is met. PALEA and Nagkaisa have planned weekly protests to bring
the long running labor dispute over outsourcing and contractualization to a
conclusion favorable to the workers.
“We
have endured 14 months at the picketlines, two attempts to disperse the campout
and several typhoons because this is a fight for the future of the present and
future generation of workers. PALEA will never give up until its members are
back to their regular jobs,” Rivera insisted.
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