People’s Journal
Tuesday, September 15, 1998
Jeffrey Tiangco
A minor officer of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and some of his minions seem bent on going for the hard line — even if it means loss of jobs for thousands — as they questioned an agreement that seeks to ensure industrial peace in the battered national flag carrier.
PALEA vice president Gerry Rivera yesterday claimed that their own union president Alex Barrientos had “sold out" the union to management when it forged an agreement which includes suspension of collective bargaining for 10 years.
"Naglatago na siya (Barrientos). Binabantayan namin ang pagpunta niya dito. Ipinagbili niya kami sa management (He’s hiding now. We are watching him on his way here. He sold us out to management)," an apparent follower of Rivera said.
Rivera charged that Barrientos and some union officers forged the agreement, and that the signing of the pact was “illegal and immoral.”
In Malacañang, Presidential Spokesman Jerry Barican said President Estrada was still studying the recommendation of the in inter-agency task force.
“He will take action very soon. Regarding the CBA, the PAL management and the union themselves must work out the details that will be acceptable to both parties," he said.
Earlier, an official PAL statement said Barrientos and 14 out of the 21 PALEA directors signed the agreement Friday with controversial business tycoon Lucio Tan.
PAL's rehabilitation plan is anchored partly on having a stable workforce.
Under the proposed agreement signed by Barrientos, PALEA would get three seats in the airline's 15-man board while each employee will get 60,000 shares worth roughly P300,000 from the Tan Group's shareholding.
The total stock package is estimated to be 20 percent of the Tan’s total holdings in PAL.
In exchange, a moratorium would be observed on the usual collective bargaining agreement for 10 years.
The same agreement also commits the company to refrain from cuts in salaries and medical benefits while those who have been retrenched but have not received their separation pay would be rehired.
The same package was reportedly offered to the Flight Attendants and Stewards' Association.@
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