PAL Strikers Defy Government

Business World

Tuesday, November 5, 1996

Travel Trade East

By E.P. PATANÑE

The three-day-long strike by members of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA), resulting in some cancellations of domestic and international flights, as of this writing appears to have gone beyond the bounds of a labor dispute. PALEA strikers have defied government by refusing to lift their pickets in spite of a Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) order.

The DoLE has taken over jurisdiction of the case following PALEA's threat to strike, its National Conciliation and Mediation Board saying that the issues raised by PALEA can be solved under the grievance machinery of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

PALEA's Notice of Strike of October 4 appears to have strayed beyond the CBA and shifted instead to the positioning of 40 union officers dismissed by management for leading a wildcat strike in 1994.

Now, PALEA has called for the resignation of Executive Secretary Ruben Torres and Labor Secretary Leonardo Quisumbing, saying these two officials were siding with management. It also stated that it would return to work if President Ramos interceded.

Apparently, the PALEA demands for more benefits are not at the heart of the current issues. The strike appears to be orchestrated from outside the PALEA membership, given one report which affiliates striking PAL employees with some leftist group, part of a clandestine movement aimed at spoiling the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting here.

The strike has acquired an ideological dimension; it is not aimed at the airline company but at the Ramos government. The issue is something else other than more pay and more benefits. The strikers are pleased with themselves, having cramped PAL's operations. The public lost out.

The strike came to end Saturday. The 9,000-strong PALEA agreed to talk things over with PAL management which has long been amenable to resolving labor issues.

It was an all-timed, ill-advised strike. Everybody lost. Union and management merely agreed to go back to square one — hammering out a new CBA.