PAL, PALEA in conciliation meeting – Malacañang

(Updated 4:22 p.m.) A conciliation meeting between Philippine Airlines management and its ground workers who are on strike against the flag carrier’s spin-off of non-core operations is now in progress, Malacañang said Tuesday. All PAL flights were cancelled mainly because of the strike until 6 p.m., apart from the impact of Typhoon Pedring on airlines plying the main island of Luzon. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz has informed presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a text message that the meeting between PAL management and leaders of the PAL Employees Association (PALEA) is ongoing, the Palace official told reporters at a press briefing. “May conciliation meeting ang management at ang union," Lacierda said. In an emailed statement, PAL decried the work stoppage that crippled its operations as Typhoon Pedring battered the main island of Luzon. “The illegal work stoppage by PALEA… led to the suspension of airport operation and the cancellation of 172 inbound and outbound flights (102 international and 70 domestic) from PAL’s hub at NAIA Terminal-2," the airline said. What PALEA did “constitures an illegal strike which merits the imposition of administrative and criminal sanctions," PAL President and COO Jaime J. Bautista said in a news conference Tuesday. “Some 14,000 PAL passengers were stranded in the airport due to the union’s illegal action (about 8,500 domestic and 5,500 international)," PAL said in the statement. “This morning, about 300 PAL ground workers on duty at the airport suddenly refused to perform their official functions in the ramp, check-in counters and catering areas. Our lawyers are preparing the appropriate charges to be filed against these erring workers," Bautista said. PALEA members walked out of their posts at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the work stoppage started at 6:50 a.m. when load controllers at the NAIA Terminal 2 left their posts. Load controllers are vital to the pre-flight conditions of airplane as they are responsible for determining a plane's weight and balance, she said. At 7:15 a.m., all PAL personnel at the check in counters stopped working, the PAL spokesperson said. Clearly a protest The PALEA walk out is clearly a protest action against the spin-off that calls for the outsourcing of online ticketing, flight catering and ground operations starting Oct. 1, Villaluna added. PALEA president Gerry Rivera said they hold the work stoppage indefinitely. PAL said flights would resume with a plane enroute to Iloilo province at 6 p.m. President Benigno Aquino III, who is now on a three-day working visit to Japan, is scheduled to return Wednesday. If ever the President’s return flight shall be delayed, it will not be because of the PALEA strike but more of the weather condition, Lacierda said. Typhoon Pedring is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility Wednesday afternoon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. “With respect to the striking employees, hindi mangyayari na ma-delay ang flight ng Presidente pero we have to consider the storm. We have to ask Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul if it will affect the flight and if it will be safe for the President to return," Lacierda said. — VS, GMA News