PALEA: Malacañang can’t wash hands of PAL labor row

Malacañang cannot wash its hands over the Labor Department’s ruling effectively allowing the mass layoff of some 3,000 employees of the Philippine Airlines, PAL labor union has said. PAL Employees’ Association (PALEA) president Gerry Rivera said, “Malacañang cannot do a Pontius Pilate over the ruling by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz favoring mass layoff of workers in the flag carrier because Malacañang has direct supervision over the agency. Rivera, who is also vice chairperson of Partido Manggagawa, argued that the government assumed jurisdiction of the labor dispute during the time of former Labor Secretary Marianito Roque, and Baldoz did not lift the “assumption of jurisdiction" order, which affirmed a previous ruling permitting the mass layoff. “In fact Baldoz used the same power to intervene by imposing another assumption of jurisdiction order on the impending flight attendants’ strike," Rivera added. Nonetheless Rivera welcomed news reports that President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III intends to review Baldoz’ ruling. “If indeed PNoy sent a text message to that effect then it is a welcome development. We challenge PNoy to uphold his promise of change by reversing the ruling. Also he better reprimand Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte for speaking from the hip for it is worse than tweeting undiplomatic messages. Valte may have read Baldoz’ decision as she alleges but she apparently did not understand it," he explained. Also, Rivera said Valte cannot recommend that PALEA file a motion for reconsideration because Baldoz’s ruling effectively denies such legal recourse. PALEA also slammed DOLE for alleging that the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) recognizes management’s prerogative to exercise the mass layoff. “While the PAL-PALEA CBA upholds management prerogative in general, this exercise is restricted by a separate provision explicitly banning the company from contracting out existing positions, jobs, divisions and departments presently occupied by present or future regular employees within the collective bargaining unit," Rivera added. Meanwhile, PALEA announced that the union’s lawyers are already preparing the case to be filed at the Court of Appeals. The union believes that while the Baldoz’ ruling is under appeal, PAL management is prohibited from undertaking the mass layoff. — Jerbert Briola/LBG, GMANews.TV