‘PAL workers strike hurt businessmen, PH tourism image’

A Cebu business leader yesterday called on the Philippine Airlines employees union to respect the decision of the court and Malacañang to go ahead with the airline’s spin-off/outsourcing program.

Samuel Chioson, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made the call as he described the effects of Tuesday’s PAL employees’ strike as a big lost opportunity to businessmen.

“I hope nga ang kining mga strikers dili lang unta nila babagan ang mga pasahero or mga empleyado kay decision man ni sa Malacañang nga there’s the legal grounds to terminate and outsource the empleyado,” he said.

“There’s nothing you can do sa korte. We respect the decision of the court and Malacañang,” he said.

On the other hand, Chioson said he believed that PAL could catch up on the backlog it was facing.

“Naa nay transition karon with the outsourcing of their people. But I’m pretty sure that they can manage in the next few days, they can catch up on the backlog,” he said.

Chioson said Tuesday’s strike meant cancellations of meetings and appointments of some businessmen.

“There’s a big loss of the opportunities sa mga businessmen. Delay of goods … ang mga meetings, appointments cancelled,” he said.

Chioson also emphasized that the strike affected the tourism industry in the country.

“Mga turista nangabot dinhi cancellation na sa hotel, tours cancellation … frustrated ang ubang turista. Na-bad trip on the delay (Tourists who arrived here had to cancel their trips and hotel accommodations.. some got even frustrated. They were frustrated by the delay),” he said.

“Not good for our country’s image,” he added.

Passengers of PAL were forced to rebook their flights following Tuesday’s work stoppage by the company’s union.

About four flights for Manila and five flights from Manila were canceled at the Mactan Cebu International Airport since 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to an ABS-CBN report yesterday, Palea president Gerry Rivera said the group would not back down on their demands.

He said the group had a pending petition before the CA, questioning the legality of the spin-off at PAL.

In Cebu, Palea members will hold today a protest rally together with militant groups Partido ng Manggagawa and the ALU-TUCP. They will walk from the first Mandaue Mactan bridge to the airport.

Meanwhile, PAL management maintained that the outsourcing program was within the rights of the company.

It said this would ensure PAL’s long-term survival and save the jobs of its remaining 5,000 employees.

Jaime J. Bautista, PAL president, said detractors of the plan see the loss of jobs for 2,400 members of the Palea but conveniently turn a blind eye on the 5,000 office personnel, cabin crew and pilots that PAL is trying to save.

He said PAL is determined to implement the spin-off/outsourcing program on Oct. 1./with Inquirer report