PALEA shrugs off PAL comment strike vote is 'baseless'

The ground crew union of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Wednesday shrugged off the company's claim that the ongoing strike vote was "baseless." "Nararapat lamang na magkasundo kami na magkaroon ng strike laban sa management (It's just right that we agree on having a strike against management)," PAL Employees Association (PALEA) vice president Alnem Pretencio told GMA News Online. "Karapatan din ng workers na magkaroon na ng collective bargaining agreement with the management (It's also the workers' right to have a collective bargaining agreement with the management)," he continued. PALEA said the airline has failed to make its counter-proposal in the collective bargaining agreement the group forged last October. For supposedly refusing to bargain with PALEA, the sole and exclusive bargaining agent under the circumstances, Pretencio claimed that the company is engaging in unfair labor practice. PAL, meanwhile, said it is open to negotiate for a new collective bargaining agreement with PALEA but after Malacañang rules on the management’s plan to spin off its non-core units. Jaime Bautista, PAL president and chief operating officer, said the outcome of the Malacañang-backed mediation “has a material impact" on the collective bargaining agreement between the management and union. As of this posting, the 3,500 members of PALEA are still voting on whether to pursue a strike, Pretencio said. He said PALEA will have a decision by “Thursday noon" after the committee on elections finished tallying the votes. PAL: Union strike vote has no basis The dispute between PAL and PALEA stemmed from the move of Asia’s oldest airline to outsource its in-flight catering, airport services, and call center reservations. If the outsourcing plan pushes through, more than 2,600 employees will lose their jobs. PAL said the strike vote has no basis. “How can the spin-off issue be discussed… when the case is still within the purview of the Palace?" the company said in a statement Wednesday, citing its president, Jaime Bautista. “As petitioners themselves, shouldn't PALEA wait for the results instead of thinking of transferring the case to yet another forum?" Bautista noted, saying the airline does not engage in unfair labor practices. The airline cautioned the union that any work stoppage is a clear indication of bad faith and will be “dealt with severely." Reacting to the union’s stance that the spin-off issue be discussed within the context of a collective bargaining agreement, Bautista said “this position is bereft of logic." — VS, GMA News