Laid-off PAL employees, allies hold protest march
More than a hundred people held a two-kilometer march from the area near the University of Cebu Mandaue Lapu-Lapu campus to the Airport road in Lapu-Lapu City to protest against the implementation of the Philippine Airlines spin-off/outsourcing program.
The rally yesterday, however, didn’t affect the Mactan-Cebu International Airport operations.
Militant labor groups like the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Partido ng Manggawa and the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) joined the march led by the laid-off members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea).
The protesters also planned to camp out at a vacant lot at Airport Road as part of their protest action.
“We will be picketing this area until such time PAL’s management and Palea could come up with a solution to the case,” said Nicanor Labrada, Palea board member for Mactan.
Palea and labor groups also held rallies yesterday in Bacolod and Davao against the PAL outsourcing plan.
“Outsourcing is not different from contractualization because employees will again submit the requirements as if he is a new applicant,” he said.
“What if you fail on health requirements as others already have illnesses and are old? And if you belong to an agency, your salary of P30,000 will be made P26,000. You will be limited to working four or five days a week. In an agency if there is no work, then there will be no pay.” said Labrada.
Yesterday, security was tight at the airport as airport police barred the protesters from entering the vicinity of the airport, which was about a hundred meters away.
All vehicles entering MCIAA were flagged down and the passengers checked to make sure that the protesters couldn’t enter the airport.
Anti-riot policemen and SWAT team of the Lapu-Lapu City Police headed by Senior Supt. Anthony Obenza were on standby at a distance to ensure peace and order in the area.
Yesterday rallies were held by Palea and labor groups in Bacolod and Davao to lambast the contractualization plan of PAL.
