An Embarrassing Labor Strike

The Philippine Journal

People's Journal

Tonight

Saturday, November 2, 1996

Editorial

THE TIMING of the wildcat (illegal) strike of the Philippine Airlines' workers is abominable and the Department of Labor did the right thing in ordering them to return to work within 24 hours or face sanction.

This raises the question of when and how the government can intervene in an industrial conflict to avert a disruption of a vital industry.

Already, the walkout has resulted in a forced cancellation of PAL's domestic and international flights that could well erode the credibility of a battered flag carrier of the country.

The strike finds little justification when one considers that it came when PAL's new private management is just about to recover PAL's painful trauma ranging from huge losses, cost overruns, general demoralization and mismanagement.

The management of PAL, taken over barely a year ago by businessman Lucio Tan, is embarking on a $4 billion refleeting program involving the lease or purchase of 46 modern aircrafts to keep it abreast with other airlines and to regain its waning standing in a highly competitive sphere of international aviation.

It also came at a time when the nation is in the middle of preparations for an international conference of 18 heads of state of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) scheduled to start on Nov. 24 at the Subic Freeport.

If the strike is allowed to continue, it could throw out of kilter the flight schedules of incoming and outgoing dignitaries, delegates and the hordes of journalists attending this historic meeting and create chaos at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other alternative airports such as Clark Field and Subic.

Clearly, the PAL strikers have laid on the line not only their personal and individual welfare, but also the national interest.

For how can one dissociate the strike from a clear and present threat to the national economy.

Other observers have regarded the strike as a "dress rehearsal" for a bigger and massive strike that would paralyze air services to and from the Philippines.

When this happens the country will be left with a real crisis in its hands that could blow up in our faces.

While the government should not lose sight of the rights of workers to stage a reasonable strike, it cannot allow the country to be hostage to a conspiracy to wreck a newly privatized airline and the men running it.

It would be embarrassing to the government – specially under present circumstances, and any other time. The strikers must realize the airline service is not an ordinary line of endeavor.