PAL workers’ union: Strike will be a surprise

MANILA, Philippines—The 3,400-member Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) has warned anew that they would proceed with their planned strike anytime they deem it necessary.

Gerry Rivera, president of PAL’s ground crew union, asserted on Monday that “if there’s a need, we will do it (go on strike).”

“Tuloy-tuloy ang laban (The fight continues). We know we’re doing the right thing… We have the support not just of organized labor groups but also the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines,” Rivera told the Philippine Daily Inquirer before proceeding to what he called a “religious mass action” at the Our Lady of the Airways Parish grounds in Parañaque City.

He just came from a similar activity at the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran, where about 50 PALEA members joined the militant Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) in reenacting the Stations of the Cross.

“At the church grounds, one of our members carried a makeshift cross while being whipped by ‘centurions’ wearing masks (of President Aquino, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, and taipan and PAL owner Lucio Tan). This will be reenacted at the Our Lady of the Airways grounds,” said Rivera.

At the same time, the PALEA leader called on the President to “reverse the ruling penned by Ochoa on the contractualization issue involving PAL personnel.”

“We’re asking P-Noy to speak his mind on the same issue,” Rivera said as he assailed anew the labor department’s ruling allowing the layoff of some 2,600 PAL employees.

He also expressed full support for the labor sector’s “call for a wage hike amidst the escalating inflation rate.”

Early this month, PAL’s ground crew union threatened to defy Baldoz and proceed with their planned strike to “prevent layoffs and contractualization at PAL.”

PAL’s management, however, said it has prepared for any action by PALEA.

Baldoz has sent the PAL labor case to the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) for compulsory arbitration, effectively preventing PALEA from going on strike.

Rivera, however, belittled the order, saying it only succeeded in postponing a strike at PAL to a date that the nation’s flag-carrier and the government would no longer know in advance.

PALEA cannot go on strike now that the labor dispute is up for compulsory mediation, according to Malacañang.

PAL earlier said that it would respect and abide by the order of the labor department but was ready to deal with PALEA’s repeated threats of a work stoppage.

“PAL will follow the DoLE order but any illegal action of the PAL Employees Association to disrupt airline operations will not be treated lightly,” said PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista.

Meanwhile, Partido ng Manggagawa (Workers’ Party) national chair Renato Magtubo backed the PALEA cause, saying “labor contractualization, cheap wages, even violent demolitions are heavy crosses for workers to bear.”

“The anti-labor and anti-poor policies of the P-Noy government are unfortunately adding to the burden suffered by workers,” Magtubo added.