PAL rejects PALEA 'offer' to return to work

Saying there is no more turning back on outsourcing three of its non-core businesses, flag carrier Philippine Airlines on Sunday rejected its former employees' offer to return to work in exchange for keeping them in their old posts. PAL President and COO Jaime Bautista said the management and its new service providers and volunteers will see the airline through the difficult transition phase. "PAL is slowly returning to normalcy, thanks to the selfless dedication of our admin volunteers and the help of our service providers," Bautista said in a news release. He was referring to reports quoting members of the PAL Employees' Association (PALEA) that they are willing to return to their jobs to ease "disruptions." Members of the labor union disrupted PAL's operations on Sept. 27 when they stopped working at their posts. The move forced PAL to scramble rescheduling some flights and canceling others. PALEA has been opposing the move of PAL to outsource its non-core businesses as part of its restructuring plan. While the outsourcing took effect Saturday, PALEA members and their families continued to protest the action and hold camp near PAL offices at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. 'Going back to normal' Bautista assured PAL passengers that from the current 70 percent, PAL's flights will be back to pre-strike levels in the next few weeks. "As of midnight October 1, workers in our catering, ground handling and call center reservations units have ceased to be PAL employees. Hence, they have no right to demand or tell the airline how to run its business," he stressed. He added PALEA president Gerry Rivera and Bong Palad have also ceased to be PAL employees and are, therefore, no longer recognized by PAL as leaders of PALEA. "They have no authority to negotiate for and in behalf of PAL workers," he said. Bautista said the PAL management has other reasons why it won't recall its former workers. Among these are:

- The outsourcing is now in full swing and service providers have taken over the functions of the three departments; anyone who wishes to render work must apply with these providers; - PAL will only take back its former workers if there is a court order mandating it to do so; so far, there is none; - Former PAL workers have caused damage to PAL's equipment during their Sept 27 wildcat strike. There's no guarantee they won't do that again; and - Mixing former PAL workers with volunteers and service providers poses grave risk to the men and women who have worked so hard to keep the airline flying. It would be most unfair to expose them to possible harassment and physical harm.

Bautista said its service providers are doing their best to hire skilled workers to fill part of the vacuum left by its former personnel. "We must understand that they were required by DOLE and Malacañang to absorb all former PAL employees. Now that these workers have shown that they're not interested, the service providers are working double-time to recruit the people they need," he said. — LBG, GMA News