95% PALEA members say yes to strike

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) on Thursday voted an "overwhelming" yes to stage a strike to compel the flag carrier's management to enter negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. PALEA national secretary Bong Palad told GMA News Online in a phone interview that about 95 percent of the 2,447 votes cast said yes in the strike vote called by the union. The group will submit the results of the strike vote to the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) this Friday, after which the strike will be formally launched after seven days if conciliation fails. The Labor Code prescribes a seven-day "cooling-off" period that prohibits the staging of a strike right after the results of the vote have been submitted to the NCMB. PALEA, which has 3,500 members, held the national strike vote on Wednesday. PALEA accused the airline of engaging in unfair labor practice as it continues to refuse to bargain with the union on the collective bargaining agreement forged in October 2010. "Puro sila pangako. Ang tagal na nito. Pati strike vote i-dineklara nilang illegal habang sila ang ayaw makipag-usap at lumalabag sa batas (They’re full of promises. This is already so long. Even the strike vote they declared illegal while they refused to talk and are violating the law)," Palad said. In a release, PALEA president Gerry Rivera urged the PAL management to submit is counter-proposal to the proposed CBA. "PAL must start negotiations without any preconditions. How can PAL negotiate in good faith when it already wants to remove provisions in the coverage of the CBA even before it has opened the bargaining process?" according to the PALEA president. The PAL management, however, has maintained it will only negotiate an agreement with PALEA after Malacañang rules on its plan to outsource its non-core operations. PAL, Asia's oldest airline, had earlier disclosed plans to outsource its in-flight catering, airport services, and call center reservations, in which over 2,600 employees will likely lose their jobs. On Wednesday, PAL said the strike vote has no basis and should not touch on the spin-off issue, as the Palace has yet to decide on the matter. "As petitioners themselves, shouldn't PALEA wait for the results instead of thinking of transferring the case to yet another forum?" said PAL president Jaime Bautista in an earlier statement, adding that the airline does not engage in unfair labor practices. The airline also cautioned the union that any work stoppage is a clear indication of bad faith and will be "dealt with severely." — VS, GMA News