Report: PAL flight attendants call off strike vote

The flight attendants of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) have called off their strike vote scheduled for next week, saying they will respect the Labor Department's order not to go on strike while it handles their labor case. Radio dzBB reported on Friday the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) made the decision after receiving a formal letter from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday. DOLE assumed jurisdiction over the case on Wednesday after talks between PAL management and FASAP broke down. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said she has given both sides 10 days to submit their position papers. She said FASAP cannot hold a strike during this period. However, FASAP, in an October 7 statement on its website, insisted that their fight is "far from over." "With the DOLE's intervention, FASAP's battle shifts from a strike into a political and legal dispute," it said. “The fight is far from over ... As the DOLE prevents FASAP from exercising its lawful right to go on strike, then we urge the Honorable Secretary to immediately rule on the dispute and address the discrimination against female flight attendants," added FASAP president Bob Anduiza. –VVP, GMANews.TV