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DOTC chief: Some PAL pilots could go back to work


Transportation Secretary Jose "Ping" de Jesus on Wednesday said some pilots of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) who abruptly resigned could return to work once their differences with the management are ironed out. De Jesus said this was the "positive development" borne out of a dialogue on Tuesday between the camp of the pilots and the PAL management. "What is encouraging, sabi ng pilots last night that they have a good feeling na if they can resolve their differences with the management, even those who have gone out might be persuaded to come back," De Jesus said in an interview on GMA Network's Unang Balita. De Jesus said this indicates that the row currently hounding the flight industry, feared to throw a blow on local tourism if not remedied, is "lumilinaw na (clearing up already)."

Tuesday's meeting was the second time the government brought together the two parties —PAL management and the pilots — to the negotiation table after the recent mass resignation of PAL pilots resulted in a string of flight cancellations. During the meeting, De Jesus said four pilots, speaking on behalf of those who resigned, attended the dialogue. The Transportation secretary said the pilots, who reportedly left the flag carrier to seek higher pays in other airlines abroad, could be persuaded to stay in PAL to be closer to their families. "It's not just the pay. [It's also because] they don't want to be separated from their families," De Jesus said. De Jesus said a third meeting might be held within the day because not all concerns of both parties were brought up in the last two dialogues. Meanwhile, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna clarified that the pilots who had been meeting with the government and the PAL management are all regular employee pilots of the flag carrier. "I just want to make it clear that not one of the pilots who were supposed to be transferred to AirPhil [Express], six contractual and six regular (employees), resigned from his job," Villaluna said in a separate interview on Unang Balita. Among the concerns raised by pilots were PAL's plan to transfer some pilots to AirPhil Express, reportedly for much lesser salaries. Affected flights Villaluna also said the management was "thankful" several groups including those from the government are taking time out to "intervene and solve the problem the soonest." The PAL reassured its customers that its airline operations remain normal and that scheduled flights will not be disrupted anymore, except for: Flights PR 136 and 136 (Manila-Bacolod); PR 181 and 182 (Manila-Cagayan de Oro); and PR 147 and 148 (Manila-Iloilo).

Think twice As for the cabin crew members belonging to the Flight Attendants’ and Stewards’ Association of the Philippines (FASAP) who are planning to stage a strike to air their own grievances against the PAL, Villaluna advised them to "think twice." "This could affect your jobs, job security, and your families who depend on PAL for your day-to-day existence," she said. The PAL spokesperson discouraged the group from resorting to a strike because the management is willing to talk things over in the first place. She reiterated PAL's reminder that the FASAP signed the 2000 collective bargaining agreement between the management and cabin crew members, setting the retirement age for flight attendants at 40 years old. Before the 2000 CAB, PAL flight attendants who were hired from 1996 to 2000 were required to resign at age 45, while those hired earlier than 1996 have to resign by 60 for men and 55 for women. "Kasapi sa probisyon na pinag-uusapan during mediation hearings iyan, [and] the cabin crews signed (That's part of the provisions that were discussed during the mediation hearings and the cabin crews signed)," Villaluna said. She also belied claims that some of the cabin crew members were merely "forced" to sign the CBA. – VVP, GMANews.TV
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