Employees disown PAL strike notice

That was how a group of Philippine Airlines (PAL) employees described the notice of strike filed before the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) by some individuals allegedly misrepresenting themselves as union officers of the national flag carrier.

In an open letter, the PAL employees urged the agency to dismiss what they called a  fake strike notice filed by Gerardo Rivera, a former PAL union official.

Signed by PAL employees led by Renato Ebio, Mercedes Ines, Emelyn Ponayo, Teodoro Jordan, Danilo Hermoso and Arnel Mangalindan, the letter said the notice of strike filed by Rivera ‘‘should not have been entertained by DOLE for being a fraud.”

They described Rivera as a ‘‘separated PAL union officer who still claims to represent the PAL Employees Association (Palea).” The notice filed by Rivera is not recognized by legitimate PAL workers, they said.

Rivera ‘‘filed the strike notice on his own behalf and is not supported by the required union board resolution approving calls for a work stoppage,” they said.

The Inquirer tried but failed to reach Rivera for comment.

‘Do not be alarmed’

The PAL employees advised the airline’s customers and the traveling public not to be alarmed by Rivera’s reported threats of flight disruptions during the coming All Saints’ Day break and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit which the country is hosting on Nov. 17 to 20.

The group said Rivera was separated from the airline in November 2013, adding that Rivera’s group also executed a joint manifestation and motion on Feb. 10, 2014, which prompted the Supreme Court’s Third Division to issue a notice declaring the Palea case questioning the airline’s 2009 outsourcing program closed and terminated.

It said that after signing the settlement agreement with PAL management under then PAL president  Ramon Ang, Rivera and the so-called ‘‘Palea 600” voluntarily released and discharged the company from any liability or claims in connection with their past services.

All employees covered by the agreement—except for Rivera—have accepted their separation packages.