Lack of pilots forces PAL to cancel 11 flights — spokesman

At least 11 flights of flag carrier Philippine Airlines were canceled Saturday, supposedly due to lack of pilots. PAL spokesman Jonathan Gesmundo admitted the problem was caused by a “brain drain" as some PAL pilots have applied for work in other airlines without informing the management. “May kinalaman sa kakulangan ng piloto. For the past days may piloto di nagpaalam, umalis sa kanilang duty kaya namomroblema kami (This has something to do with the lack of pilots. In past days, pilots had not been reporting for duty. This has caused problems for us)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.
He downplayed the situation, saying less than a dozen pilots were involved in the situation. Also, he said the absence of pilots was not a group action. Gesmundo said they are still adjusting flight schedules, saying PAL management expects the situation to normalize “in few days." He did not elaborate. A report by dzBB’s Carlo Mateo said at least 13 local and five international flights were also delayed. Some of the delayed flights are:

• PR-318, PR-313, PR-319 (to Hong Kong)
• PR-843 and 844, to and from Cebu
• PR-181 and 182, to and from Cagayan
• PR-133 and 134, to and from Bacolod
• PR-147 and 148, to and from Iloilo

PAL apology In a statement on Saturday, PAL apologized to its passengers inconvenienced by the disruption of several flights schedules of their Airbus A320 airplanes. "The indiscriminate resignation of PAL's A320 pilots for flying jobs abroad whose salaries PAL is unable to match, is in violation of their contracts with PAL as well pertinent government regulations that require resigning pilots to give PAL six months prior notice to be able to train their replacements," the statement read. It said it will file appropriate charges soon against pilots who chose not to report for work immediately after submitting their resignation letters. Moreover it said "PAL is adjusting its schedules by merging some flights, upgrading aircraft to a bigger type in order and fielding of management pilots to lessen the inconvenience to affected passengers." For updates on flight status, passengers may call the PAL hotline at 855-8888. Noynoy intervention Meanwhile, a senior Catholic bishop asked President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III to intervene in the row over PAL restructuring plan, which he said may affect thousands of workers. Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said Aquino can “prove his sincerity" for the ordinary Filipinos with his "immediate" intervention. “We ask the President to resolve this issue… especially for new Labor Secretary [Rosalinda] Baldoz to look into the matter," he said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news site. Pabillo also heads the CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA-JP). He added the labor dispute is a “test case" on whether the Aquino administration will favor the ordinary laborers facing risk of losing their jobs. 'We will sit with PAL' In response to the incident, President Aquino has already instructed officials from the Labor and Transportation departments to meet with PAL officials and discuss how to remedy the problem. "PAL has an obligation under legal terms. They are have a public conveyance. They have a commitment to serve the interest of the public," Aquino told reporters in Luneta on Saturday during the unfurling of a photo mosaic for her mother, the late President Corazon Aquino. "And if this is not being met this has to be addressed... Kailangan talaga upuan iyan. We will be sitting with PAL officials," President Aquino added. He said he would look into labor issues that might have been the concern of the pilots who resigned. Aquino said the meeting with the PAL officials might take place Monday "at the latest." Outsourcing PAL is part of a group of companies owned by business tycoon Lucio Tan. Last June, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) allowed the PAL management to outsource critical operations, a move that may cost some 3,500 of the airline's 7,500 employees their jobs. The PAL Employees’ Association criticized the decision, which former Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman said was a valid exercise of management prerogative. But Pabillo said PAL's move infringes provisions against labor contracting and on-job security contained within the company’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA). “There are existing policies against labor contracting even within the airline company so it’s unbelievable that the DOLE came out with such ruling," he said. On the other hand, Pabillo urged Baldoz to review the decision and decide based on what is “moral" and “legally right" and not according to pressure by some big and influential businessmen. An international labor group earlier sought Aquino's help to resolve the labor dispute. London-based International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) said the PAL spin-off is a union-busting move, because affected employees are all union members. While ITF general secretary David Cockroft affirms that the aviation industry has been hit hard by the economic crisis, this should not be used as ground to attack the rights of workers. “ITF affiliates are clear that aviation workers are not responsible for the crisis but have borne a disproportionate burden of its cost," Cockroft said. — with a report by Mark D. Merueñas and Kimberly Jane Tan/LBG, GMANews.TV