PAL flight attendants to file strike notice in 2-3 weeks

Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) flight attendants will file a strike notice anytime within "two to three weeks," after both workers and management recognized that "no significant breakthroughs" took place during talks held on Tuesday. The Flight Attendants’ and Stewards’ Association of the Philippines (FASAP) "is withdrawing from mediation because the process will no longer lead anywhere," Robert Anduiza, FASAP president, said on Tuesday. "We will go to our members and ask them when the group will file a strike notice," Anduiza told reporters minutes after he and other FASAP officials emerged from a two-hour meeting with PAL management negotiators, which did not include PAL president Jaime Bautista who was ill-disposed. "We’re certainly concerned about the absence of Mr. Bautista," Anduiza said. No progress has been made in the labor talks even though both parties have held mediation meetings for about a dozen times since November last year, Andy Ortega, FASAP vice president, told GMANews.TV. It may take some time before FASAP holds a membership meeting and reaches a decision on the proposed strike. Of its 1,600 members, more than three-fourths are abroad, serving foreign flights. Only 350 flight attendants are at home serving domestic routes. However, FASAP board members will hold an initial meeting within the week, Anduiza said. No new offers were made by airline management, which simply reiterated its previous position, he added. Earlier, the airline offered an increase of P80 million for all 1,600 FASAP members to address "economic issues," PAL management earlier said. The additional compensation package will be divided over a three-year period. For its part, PAL said that it is unable to "give more due to its current financial difficulties," the company said in a statement issued on Tuesday. However, the offer does not "address the retirement and gender discrimination issues which are of utmost importance to FASAP," FASAP said in the minutes of its meeting held at the National Mediation and Conciliation Board (NCMB) in Manila. FASAP has opposed various provisions in its previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA), including compulsory retirement age of 40 for all flight attendants and PAL management’s "no motherhood" policy, which withholds pay and benefits to pregnant flight attendants. "PAL’s present hardline stance on these issues is indicative of bad faith considering that it has previously manifested in writing its erstwhile willingness to negotiate changes on retirement age," the group added in its meeting minutes. But PAL said that it should not "take the blame for a CBA provision that FASAP leaders approved." "Officers of the cabin crew union signed the CBA containing the provision setting an early retirement age not only once but three times in the past," the same statement said. "They were not forced. They signed it voluntarily." For its part, FASAP requested Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to refrain from exercising “assume-jurisdiction" powers over its looming strike. Once the Labor Secretary assumes jurisdiction over a strike, it effectively orders workers to go back to work and prevents both parties from undertaking actions that will exacerbate the dispute. Meanwhile, Malacañang said that two Cabinet secretaries are currently handling the situation. "Labor Secretary Baldoz is on top of it. Right now, it's being handled on her level," Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning head Ricky Carandang said. "[Public Works] Secretary de Jesus is also involved," he added.—With Jam Sisante/JV, GMANews.TV