PAL employees union to hold strike vote Tuesday

The ground crew union of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will hold a strike vote on Tuesday to determine if they have the numbers to push through with a planned strike. The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) disclosed this on Monday after delivering a notice of strike vote to the labor department. “The strike vote is (in) compliance with the requirements of the law," PALEA president Gerry Rivera said in an entry on the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) blog site. “If management does not desist from harassing PALEA members to avail of the separation offer — which is tantamount to individual bargaining and therefore illegal — then we will be forced to actually hold the strike," he warned. “Management continues to violate its own promise (made) during the mediation on Nov. 8 that PAL managers will refrain from discussing the issues with PALEA members," he said. PALEA expects some 3,700 members from all PAL offices in Manila, the airports of Cebu and Davao, and even outlying stations in 14 cities nationwide to participate in the strike vote. Rivera, who is vice chairman of the PM, said the PALEA delivered its notice of strike vote to the office of National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) Executive Director Reynaldo Ubaldo at 8:30 a.m Monday. A copy was furnished to the Office of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz at 8:55 a.m. "This means that PALEA can proceed with the strike vote from 9:00 am to 12:00 midnight tomorrow (Tuesday)," Rivera said. PAL questions legality of strike vote The PAL management, however, questioned the legality and propriety of PALEA’s planned strike vote. In a statement, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the ground crew union’s notice of strike vote was “without basis." The conditions that justify the holding of a referendum calling for a work stoppage are not present, she said. “Conciliation talks before the NCMB remain pending and have not bogged down, she added. In fact, the union and the management “mutually" agreed to suspend conciliation meetings to allow the Office of the President to act on PALEA’s appeal to reverse an earlier ruling of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)," she said. On Oct. 29, Baldoz affirmed a March 2010 DOLE decision allowing the retrenchment of 2,600 PAL employees, a move that will cut PAL’s workforce to 4,000. Villaluna said Malacañang has yet to decide on the union’s pending appeal for the intervention of President Benigno Aquino III in the labor dispute at the national carrier. She stressed that it was PALEA itself who sought presidential intervention after losing its bid to reverse the DOLE decision recognizing PAL management’s prerogative to spin off its airport services, catering and call center reservations units. The holding of a strike vote, despite its own pending appeal, displays the arrogance and lack of respect for legal processes by PALEA’s leaders, Villaluna said. Pressure Malacañang Saying that the management will contest PALEA’s call for a strike vote and the planned work stoppage itself, Villaluna said that she believes “PALEA’s objective is to pressure Malacañang to rule in their favor and at the same time hold hostage thousands of Filipinos whose travel plans for the forthcoming holidays are already firmed up." PALEA’s Rivera, however, belied the allegations. “We are not blackmailing Malacañang to favor our position but we are warning management (of) its illegal acts," the union head said. “It was PALEA that asked for (the) President (to intervene) into the PAL-PALEA dispute, so it is illogical that we will sabotage it," he added. The issue pending at the Office of the President (OP) is separate, though related, to the case from which the strike vote proceeds, Rivera insisted. The strike vote does not constitute a transgression of mediation efforts of the OP. According to Rivera, the issue pending at the OP is PAL’s plan to outsource its ground crew services, which was affirmed by the DOLE recently. He said the strike vote arises from the PALEA members’ complaint of individual bargaining by PAL management — which the union says constitutes both an unfair labor practice and union busting. “We don't make strike threats," the union president said. “We just do it when needed. That is why we are preparing the requirements for a strike which will happen at the appropriate time. A majority support of members assessed via a strike vote is necessary to hold a legal strike," he added. Rivera called on PALEA members “to vote ‘yes’ in the strike vote in order to defend our jobs and secure our future." "Those who have their day off tomorrow should go to work to register their vote and express their sentiments," he said. PAL assures public As this developed, PAL assured its passengers that flights remain normal and continue to operate as scheduled. “A work stoppage does not happen overnight. PAL will exhaust all legal means to prevent any disruption that could hurt the economy and cause inconvenience to the riding public," Villaluna said. The PAL management also said it had received assurances from various PAL employee groups that they will not join any strike. However, it has put contingency measures in place. Villaluna said PAL has made arrangements with sister airline Airphilexpress and other local carriers to help carry domestic passengers, while PAL’s 134 interline partners are also ready to lend a hand in our international routes. To ensure the steady supply of food and other amenities, PAL also made arrangements with several catering firms to supply meals, she added. She also said any work stoppage would not only hurt PAL’s finances but would also cause damage to the Philippine economy, not to mention untold inconvenience to millions of Filipino travelers. - DM/KBK, GMANews.TV