DOLE ready to take jurisdiction over PAL row

The Department of Labor and Employment is ready to take jurisdiction over the ongoing labor row between the country's flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and its flight attendants. However, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said on Friday they may have to wait until at least Tuesday before formally taking jurisdiction over the case. “Posibleng kung di sila magkaroon ng movement next Tuesday at magkaroon ng manifestation ng any one of the parties mag-proceed sa arbitration, ganoon na nga ang mangyayari," she said in an interview on dwIZ radio. (Once both sides fail to reach a settlement by this coming Tuesday and any one of the parties formally manifests to proceed with arbitration, that’s the time we will take jurisdiction), She said once the DOLE assumes jurisdiction over the labor row, the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) cannot push through with its planned strike. On Thursday, FASAP and PAL management officials had expressed openness to the DOLE assuming jurisdiction over the case. “Yan ang epekto ng assumption of jurisdiction (A prohibition on striking is one of the effects of the DOLE assuming jurisdiction)," Baldoz said. Earlier, FASAP vice-president Andy Ortega said in a radio interview they will heed only interventions from President Benigno Aquino III or Baldoz. “Puwede pumapel ang pangulo, si President Aquino, at pwede pumasok ang Labor Secretary, si Sec. Baldoz. They can assume jurisdiction para mapigilan ang situation. Those are the two options na pwede mangyari sa problema natin ngayon," Ortega said in an interview on dzRH radio. (President Aquino can intervene or Labor Secretary Baldoz can take jurisdiction of the case to avert the strike. Those are the two options we are open to), The PAL management, however, said it is inclined to ask the Labor Department to assume jurisdiction over the case. “Hihingin namin sa DOLE na mag-assume ng jurisdiction (We will likely ask the DOLE to assume jurisdiction of the case)," PAL president Jaime Bautista said in a separate interview on dzRH. FASAP said it is ending conciliation talks with PAL management and pushing through with its plan to strike after failing to reach an agreement on Wednesday. Ortega said their objective is to end PAL’s supposed discrimination of flight attendants with its early retirement age of 40 years old. PAL spokeswoman Cielo Villaluna said they are putting in place contingency measures to minimize the effects of the strike on passengers. –VVP, GMANews.TV