Solon to Aquino: Address PAL’s problems

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:55:00 08/02/2010

MANILA, Philippines — The resignation of the pilots could be just the tip of the iceberg of the labor problems hounding the Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the government should look into this, a lawmaker said Monday.

Anakpawis partylist Representative Rafael Mariano said President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III should also address the contractualization of employees and other violation of labor standards happening inside the country’s flag carrier.

Aquino has instructed Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr. to hold a dialogue with PAL management and labor officials on the resignation of 25 PAL pilots, which either cancelled or delayed several domestic and international flights. Apt

“The meeting between Malacanang, DoLE, PAL management and employees must go beyond pinning the blame on PAL pilots and flight crew. Mr. Aquino must clearly distinguish who are the aggrieved parties in this case before throwing insensitive remarks against the pilots,” Mariano said in a statement.

Mariano earlier filed House Resolution No. 11 seeking to investigate the situation in PAL, including the planned spin-off of the company’s call center reservations, in-flight catering and airport services that will affect more than 2,600 employees, comprising more than half of the members of the local union PAL Employees Association.

Mariano noted the need to look into the real financial condition of the flag carrier, which has claimed near bankruptcy, even as its chairman and chief executive office Lucio Tan was recently listed by Forbes Magazine as the second richest Filipino with a net worth of $1.7 billion in 2009.

“It is proper and necessary to ensure that workers be protected from illegal retrenchments which are based merely on highly questionable claims of bankruptcy,” he said.

According to the lawmaker, several PAL employees, including its flight attendants and crew have also complained of delayed salaries, leave without pay, reduced break time and other violation of labor standards by the management due to cost-cutting measures.