PAL may be spooked by strike during Halloween

by Jeremiah F. de Guzman and Vito Barcelo
September 10, 2010
ManilaStandardToday

THE union of flight attendants and stewards in Philippine Airlines filed a notice of strike on Thursday, adding to the woes of the national flag carrier, which is grappling with flight cancellations from Hong Kong and China and mounting losses.

A spokesman for the airline, Cielo Villaluna, said the strike notice was ill-timed as it would scare away tourists who were already wary of traveling to the Philippines in the wake of the Aug. 23 hostage-taking in Manila, in which eight Chinese nationals were killed.

Hong Kong issued a black travel warning as a result of the killings, which followed a botch rescue attempt by Manila police, and urged all residents to avoid travel to the Philippines.
Just this week, Philippine Airlines reduced the number of flights to Hong Kong as the cancellations mounted.

“A strike threat doesn’t help in efforts to lure back tourists to the country,” Villaluna said.
The airline’s stewards and flight attendants said they will launch a series of strikes by the end of October or early in November.

The law says the parties in a labor dispute must go through a two- to four-week cooling-off period after the filing of a strike notice, during which the Labor secretary may continue to mediate.
The union said the airline could lose up to P60 million a day once its members struck.
“[The union] is definitely going on strike,” group president Bob Anduiza said.
“We have exhausted the negotiating process and after the countless mediation hearings, PAL remains unmoved and refuses to negotiate in good faith.”

Villaluna said airline operations remained normal and all flights were operating as scheduled.
“There is no immediate work stoppage due to the union’s filing of a strike notice,” she said.
The talks between the airline and the union collapsed last month after the management refused to discuss a labor demand to reconsider a policy compelling those female workers hired after 2000 to retire at 40, and those who stared working for it after 1996 to retire at 45.

The 1,600-member union is disputing that policy, accusing the management of gender discrimination.
More than three-fourths of the union’s members work abroad, and only 350 are serving domestic routes.

“We are saddened by the union’s decision, but we recognize their right to file a notice of strike,” Villaluna said.

“Management is willing to sit down again with [the union’s] leaders to discuss and settle any pending issues in the 2007-2010 collective bargaining agreement.”

Villaluna said union claims that they were overworked and underpaid were without basis.
“PAL’s cabin attendants receive an average gross monthly salary ranging from P30,000 to P80,000. They also enjoy enviable rest periods,” she said.

She also denied accusations of age and gender discrimination, saying the union leaders had agreed to earlier retirement clauses in exchange for financial benefits.