Gov’t ready to stop strike by PAL workers

By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 10/02/2010

MANILA, Philippines—For the sake of the national interest, the government on Friday said it was prepared to ban a planned strike that could paralyze the operations of national flag-carrier Philippine Airlines.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said that if a final round of talks next Tuesday between PAL and its flight attendants’ union fails, she could invoke her “reserve power” to assume jurisdiction over the dispute, which would make the planned strike illegal.

“We are (looking) after the interest of the riding public. PAL is still the national carrier and there is the national interest to protect,” she said.

Assuming jurisdiction would force the two sides to negotiate further and, if an agreement is still not reached, the secretary could make a decision on the dispute, Baldoz explained.
The National Conciliation and Mediation Board has called PAL management and the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (Fasap) to a meeting on Oct. 5 in a last-ditch effort to avoid a strike.

Last Wednesday, Fasap announced that it would go on strike, saying PAL had repeatedly rejected its major demands, particularly on gender discrimination and retirement age issues.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said in a radio interview Friday that the company was likely to ask the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to assume jurisdiction.

Andy Ortega, vice president of the 1,600-strong Fasap, said the group would respect the secretary’s authority but stressed that Baldoz should resolve the conflict quickly and fairly.

Fasap is demanding paid maternity leaves and an end to a company policy that forces female flight attendants to retire at the age of 40.

The union said it hopes the discrimination issue would be resolved once the DOLE decides to assume jurisdiction.

“If the DOLE secretary decides to take over the case and prevent Fasap from exercising the right to strike, then we expect her to also address the discrimination issue of female flight attendants,” the union said in a statement.
Open skies policy

Malacañang on Friday said the government would begin talks with some airlines to cover for PAL should Fasap push through with its planned strike.

“Definitely. That’s in the plan,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.
“President Aquino said before that if the matter was not resolved, the government would be forced to rush the open skies (policy),” he said, adding that such a policy was in force in the 1990s.
Lacierda said the primary concern of the government was the welfare of passengers who would be affected should PAL’s operations be paralyzed by a strike.

“What is important to the President is the concern for the riding public,” he said.

String of labor problems
“If they (PAL and Fasap) can’t fix the problem, he will not sacrifice, he will not prejudice the riding public,” Lacierda said.

The planned strike is the latest in a string of labor problems to hit PAL.
In August, 25 pilots and first officers on PAL’s short-haul aircraft suddenly quit for higher paying jobs abroad, forcing the abrupt cancellation of several flights.

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) labor group and PAL’s ground crew union, the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea), which is involved in a separate labor case with the company, expressed their support for Fasap’s planned strike.

“Palea members will respect any picket line that will be set up by Fasap. We will be with them in the picket lines,” Palea president and concurrent PM vice chair Gerry Rivera said in a statement. With Agence France-Presse and Christian Esguerra