PALEA stages Kalbaryo ng Manggagawa

Press Release

PALEA

March 27, 2013 

In commemoration of Holy Week and to highlight its continuing struggle for regular jobs at Philippine Airlines, the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) staged a “Kalbaryo ng Manggagawa” today.

“Retrenched PAL workers have endured the Calvary of joblessness and poverty for the last 18 months as a result of the corporate greed of Lucio Tan and his outsourcing plan. But PALEA will endure this trial, win the fight and resurrect stronger,” declared Alnem Pretencio, PALEA vice president.

The Kalbaryo march will start at the PALEA protest camp at 4:00 pm and then proceed to the Our Lady of the Airways Parish where a short program will be held. Marchers will bring a makeshift cross to symbolize the plight of workers and highlight the call “Kalbaryo ng Manggagawa, Kapitalista ang may Gawa.”

After the activity at OLAP, the rallyists will march back to the PALEA protest camp for another program. The highlight of the program will be the lighting of 18 torches to reflect the 18 months of PALEA’s fight against outsourcing and contractualization.

PALEA’s international supporters also held a “Global Day of Action” today in solidarity wit its fight and to press PAL management to immediately resolve the labor row. In Melbourne, where PALEA president Gerry Rivera is attending a labor conference, he and Australian unionists from the Maritime Union of Australia leafleted the PAL flight out of the city today.

Leafleting of departing PAL flights will also be done in Toronto and Honolulu by Canadian airline unions and by the Hawaii hotel workers. “PALEA’s fight is also our fight. The struggle against outsourcing and contractualization is a worldwide fight that can be won by global solidarity and action,” the groups abroad declared.

Las week the Court of Appeals (CA) released a decision affirming the decision of the Office of the President allowing the outsourcing plan at PAL. Next week PALEA will file a motion for reconsideration to the CA decision even as it proceeds with the ongoing talks with PAL management for negotiated settlement to the long-running dispute.