CA reaffirms earlier ruling on slashing Fasap wage hike

Some 70 members of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (Fasap) stage a rally outside the Supreme Court building.  FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Court of Appeals stood pat in its 2013 decision that reduced  the wage increases granted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to members of the Philippine Airlines-Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippine.

The earlier ruling slashed to P100 million the P220 million total wage increases of Fasap from 2007 to 2010.

In an 11-page resolution, the appeals court through Associate Justice Ramon Cruz of the Special Former Seventh Division denied Fasap motion for reconsideration to reverse its earlier decision for its failure to present persuasive arguments that would warrant the reversal of its ruling.

“We stand pat in our earlier finding that there was a grave abuse of discretion on the part of DOLE when it awarded the P220 million economic package,” the CA ruled.

“As we have stated in our decision dated June 18, 2013, the findings of the DOLE do not conform to the evidence on record and are not supported by substantial evidence, thus, the consequent finding of grave abuse of discretion,” it added.

In its last year’s decision, the appeals court modified the rulings of  DOLE directing PAL to implement P220-million wage increases for its flight attendants and to fix their retirement age at 60 years.

PAL had only offered P80 million in 2010.

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