Decimated ALPAP Mulls Uncertain Future

Today
September 1, 1998
Opinion

IT is ironic that the strike of the Airline Pilots Association of the Philippines (Alpap), which brought PAL to its knees, has also apparently spelled doom for the pilots’ union.

The break in its ranks does not augur well for the future of what used to be the solid 600-strong union of PAL pilots.  More than three-fourths of the 191 line pilots of PAL are Alpap “returnees” who reapplied with PAL in defiance of the directives from Alpap officials prohibiting members from doing so.

First Officer Miguel Rocha, a former striker who returned to PAL after a month in the picket line, perhaps typifies the attitude of the returnees.  Rocha says: “The past is past.  It’s time to move on.  Right now, we want to do our part and help in PAL’s recovery efforts.”

Understandably, the Alpap officers are unhappy with Rocha and the other members of the union who have rejoined PAL.  Alpap has threatened to oust them from the union.  Alpap has not yet made good its threat,  but sooner or later it would have to decide on what to do with the returnees.

But an even more serious decision that Alpap would have to make soon is on the future of the union, whose officers and active members have all been fired by PAL.

Alpap is very rich, with assets in the hundreds of millions from its wise placement of the retirement contributions of its members in real-estate and blue chips investments.  With its members’ contributions coming to a halt, Alpap would have to start dipping into its capital; and this cannot be done indefinitely without dissipating Alpap’s assets.

Alpap has initiated legal moves to question the firing of its members, but the legal process is expected to be lengthy and costly.

Even if it gets favorable court judgment, it is doubtful if all the 620 pilots from Alpap can be reinstated, since PAL has already downsized its fleet, reduced its destinations and retrenched its personnel in the aftermath of the pilots’ strike.

Alpap has proposed the creation of a new airline – the Philippine Regional Airlines of the Philippines – which Alpap would run.  According to the Alpap proposal, the new airline will serve regional domestic routes and will be organized in cooperation with PAL and the government.  The plan for PRAL, however, has not gone beyond the position-paper stage.

What could force the hand of Alpap to make a decision on its future is the expected move by the returnees and the other line pilots now flying with PAL to organize their own labor union to represent them in negotiations with management.

Alpap is expected to contest any such move.  It will insist that it is the legitimate union representing the pilots of PAL.  However, in the anticipated confrontation between a union of pilots actively flying for PAL and a union of inactive pilots, it is easy to see who has the moral if not legal advantage.