A day after its ground crew staged a "sit-down strike," flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said on Wednesday many of its international and domestic flights have resumed. As of early morning on Wednesday, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said they mounted the following flights:
Manila-Davao (PR821) Manila-Kalibo (PR239) Manila-Hong Kong (PR310) Manila-Bangkok (PR732) Manila-Los Angeles (PR102) Manila-San Francisco (PR104) Manila-Jakarta (PR535). However, Villaluna said it may take some time for PAL’s operations to return to normal. As of Wednesday, she said 62 domestic and 40 international flights remain cancelled. Passengers may check the PAL website for the statuses of the flights. “We thank our passengers for their patience and understanding and for bearing with us during this difficult time. Rest assured that PAL will do everything to ensure that all our passengers will reach their destination safely," Villaluna said. PAL apologizes for "illegal strike" On its Twitter account on Wednesday, PAL apologized to customers and netizens for the effects of what it called an "illegal strike" by its ground crew. PAL said, "We are sorry about this. It has been an unusual day for everyone. PAL is working to iron out things." PAL said passengers affected by the incident may rebook or refund their tickets. A report on radio dzBB said PAL said at least 14,000 passengers were affected by its ground crew's strike. Radio dzBB's Nimfa Ravelo also reported that some members of the ground crew union held a vigil outside the airport premises on Tuesday night. Sit-down strike On Tuesday, PAL was forced to cancel flights until 6:00 p.m. after some 300 ground crew of PAL held a sit-down strike where they sat down at their stations to protest against the flag carrier's decision to spin-off or outsource its non-core operations. However, PAL said a composite team managed to persuade striking workers to yield control of PAL’s check-in terminals, cargo, catering, and ramp areas. Villaluna said the team was composed of representatives of various sectors — PAL security, airport services, police and aviation security, and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). Hundreds of PAL volunteers were deployed at PAL’s hub in NAIA Terminal 2 either as check in clerks, ramp equipment operators or customer relations officers. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Tuesday admitted conciliation efforts have so far failed to have the two sides reach a compromise. "Both the PAL management and the PALEA remain firm in their respective positions in the present dispute despite efforts to conciliate to avoid further inconvenience to the riding public," Baldoz said in a statement on the government portal. In the meantime, she said Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Jose Angel Honrado will exercise maximum tolerance. "He has personally assured me that he will continue to observe maximum tolerance in the exercise of his authority," she said. - VVP, GMA News 
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