PAL Operations Returns to Normal

The Philippine Star

Monday, November 4, 1996

By NIXON KUA

Operations of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) normalized yesterday following Saturday's signing of a memorandum of agreement between management and one of its three employees' unions, ending a four-day workers' strike.

"Full normalization is expected by noon (Sunday)," PAL said in a statement.

The flag carrier started dispatching local and international flights to make up for the backlog of passengers brought about by the strike staged starting last Wednesday by the PAL Employees' Association (PALEA) when negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement with management failed.

The signing of the agreement at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) signaled the return to work by the strikers, paving the way for the normalization of the airlines' operations. The lifting of the picket lines the other day, followed by the gradual return of PALEA members to their work stations, has resulted in a substantial increase in the number of international and domestic flights.

But 10 international and 31 domestic flights reportedly remained cancelled as the company concentrated its resources on heavy traffic areas for international flights and domestic routes not serviced by other local carriers.

Some incoming or outgoing flights were delayed due to the backlog created by the strike which messed up the airlines' flight schedules.

PAL said more than half of the scheduled international flights were dispatched yesterday. These included flights to Narita via Cebu, Hong Kong, Taipei, Sydney and Melbourne, Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur, Fukuoka, Seoul, Singapore, Honolulu and San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Eighteen domestic flights were also set to be operated yesterday, serving Cagayan de Oro, Kalibo, Dumaguete, Davao, Roxas, Butuan, Puerto Princesa, Bacolod, Cotabato, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, Zamboanga and Bacolod.

PAL officials said the company lost some P100 million due to the strike, the bulk of which went to rebooking, meals and hotel accommodations of stranded passengers.

Several passengers demanded refunds for their airport and travel taxes.

Foreign airlines were also affected by the strike since PAL is the dominant ground handling agent of almost all international airlines entering the Philippines.

Passengers of other airlines suffered difficulties in retrieving their luggage even as two other private ground handling agents were commissioned to fill the void

Almost all international airlines doubled their food catering while others brought in additional people, some from abroad and some from their main offices in Manila.