PAL cancels more flights due to union strike

MANILA, Philippines–More Philippine Airlines (PAL) flights were cancelled on Wednesday, a day after the company’s employees went on strike, as the company lacked the manpower to immediately replace the workers that walked out.

The airline’s management likewise said it could not run on full capacity due to damaged equipment, which the company blamed on union members that went on strike Tuesday.

“It will take some time for PAL’s operations to fully normalize but the airline is determined to get back on its feet and move forward,” PAL spokesman Cielo Villaluna said.

She said 62 domestic at 40 international flights remain cancelled. The complete list of flights is available at www.philippineairlines.com.

On Tuesday, about 300 PAL employees reported for work but stopped doing their jobs starting 7 a.m. in a protest action called a “sit down strike.” The company was forced to cancel 172 domestic and international flights, affecting 14,000 passengers, as authorities tried to remove the striking workers from their posts.

At around 6 p.m.,  PAL security, airport services, police and aviation security and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) was able to successfully persuade striking PALEA workers to yield control of PAL’s check in terminals, cargo, catering and ramp areas.

Damaged equipment

To the airline’s surprise, many pieces of equipment were found to be damaged or disabled intentionally by PALEA members before leaving the airport’s premises, Villaluna said.

“That seems to be the assessment of the airport services department. They believe this is the handiwork of the PALEA group,” she said.

She said equipment such as pushback tractors, tow-tugs and deck loaders were all “made inoperable.”

PALEA answered back, saying that the damage to equipment was NOT caused by the dispersal process. PALEA president Gerry Rivera said it was caused instead by PAL’s decision to field untrained personnel to replace striking workers.

The door of an Airbus A340 with aircraft ID 3430 was damaged when a reliever who was an unlicensed PAL staff misused the airstep, PALEA said. “This accident reveals the dangers of inexperienced contractual employees at work. We know that passengers were inconvenienced by the protest but they should understand that airline safety and efficiency is ensured by regular not contractual labor,” Rivera said.

He said the union’s leaders were ready to face charges being prepared against them by both the government and the airline’s management.

The union denounced the harsh treatment of its members that went on strike, as they were physically removed from their stations by PAL and airport security personnel.

“PAL employees Kathleen Yumol, Rhonan Alonzo, Christian Concepcion were hurt in the dispersal at Terminal 2 led by a combined force of hundreds of security guards,” Rivera said.

He said Palea plans to continue protests to call for PAL to abandon its plan to shut down three departments, namely in-flight catering, airport services and call centers, leaving 2,600 workers jobless.

Affected workers have the option to be absorbed by Sky Kitchen, Sky Logistics and SPi Global Holdings, the three companies hired to replace the units to be closed. PAL was forced to bring in the three service providers on Wednesday to replace the Palea staff, who are now considered on leave with pay until Oct. 1, 2011—the end of their employment contracts.