PALEA: We're ready to hold strike after 'cooling-off' period

The ground crew labor union of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Friday said it is prepared to hold its first nationwide strike against the company since 1998. “The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association [PALEA] is 100-percent ready for a strike that will paralyze the operations of the airlines," said its president, Gerry Rivera, in a statement. “The only thing that can prevent a strike is for the airline to heed the demand to stop outsourcing and open collective bargaining agreement negotiations without preconditions," he added. On March 24, PALEA voted an “overwhelming" yes to stage a strike to compel the airline’s management to enter negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. The union submitted the results of the strike vote to the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) last Friday, but the reconciliation between the union and the airline still failed. 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 3,700 members, 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. Ready for worst-case scenario On the other hand, PAL assured its passengers that it is ready for a “worst case scenario" of an actual work stoppage. The airline is ready to “implement contingency measures to minimize flight disruptions and avoid passenger inconvenience in case a threatened walkout by its ground workers pushes through," it said. “We apologize to our passengers for whatever anxiety and inconvenience threats of work stoppage have spawned. Rest assured we are doing everything we can to ensure that your flights will proceed as scheduled," PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said. The company said it continues to appeal to its workers to respect and remain within the legal conciliation process. “But make no mistake, PAL is also ready to exercise its legal options in case any work stoppage is declared illegal by proper authorities," he said, pointing out that the planned strike has no legal basis. “First, it’s not true that management refuses to convene negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement… Second, the union’s claim that there is no justifiable reasons for the spin-off of three units have no leg to stand on," Bautista explained. On March 28, PAL submitted its counter-proposal to the collective bargaining agreement at the NCMB. Bautista said: “This is the best proof that PAL is willing to negotiate with its union." "The planned spin-off... is not the subject of any notice of strike as this has just been recently resolved by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa," he added. Dress rehearsal At 5 p.m. on Friday, several labor groups joined PALEA in staging a rally outside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal 2. In a statement, the union said the rally would serve as a “dress rehearsal for the work stoppage which can happen any day after the lapse of the strike ban [on Friday]." “This mass action is an expression of the unity of the labor movement in the common fight for regular jobs and against the government’s policy of contractualization," Rivera said. On March 25, Malacañang ruled in favor of the Lucio Tan-owned airline to push through with its outsourcing plans. The oldest airline in Asia intends to outsource its in-flight catering, airport services, and call center reservations. Synchronized mass actions were also staged in key international airports of Cebu and Davao, the union said. Rivera insisted that the airline will earn “$1.6 billion in profits this year. Yet it refuses to share the fruits of production with its employees via a collective bargaining agreement." “PAL employees have already sacrificed, with a 12-year collective bargaining agreement suspension that has resulted in the stagnation of wages, benefits and working conditions," he said. — JE, GMA News