Palea sets strike vote

Monday, 06 December 2010 21:13 Lenie Lectura / Reporter

THE Philippine Airlines (PAL) Employees’ Association (Palea) will convene today to determine whether majority of its members will agree to stage a strike.

Palea leaders delivered a notice of strike vote to the office of National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) executive director Reynaldo Ubaldo, with a copy furnished the Office of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Monday morning. With this, Palea can proceed with the strike vote from 9 a.m. to 12 midnight tomorrow.

“The strike vote is in compliance with the requirements of the law. If the management does not desist from harassing Palea members to avail themselves of the separation offer which is tantamount to individual bargaining and, therefore, illegal, then we will be forced to actually hold the strike. The management continues to violate its own promise during the mediation last November 8 that PAL managers will refrain from discussing the issues with Palea members,” said Gerry Rivera, Palea president and vice chairman of the militant Partido ng Manggagawa.

“We don’t make strike threats. We just do it when needed. That is why we are preparing the requirements for a strike which will happen at the appropriate time. A majority support of members assessed via a strike vote is necessary to hold a legal strike,” Rivera added.

Palea explained that the strike vote does not constitute a transgression of the mediation efforts of the Office of the President.

“We are not blackmailing Malacañang to favor our position but we are warning the management for its illegal acts. It was Palea that asked for the intervention of President Benigno Aquino III into the PAL-Palea dispute and so it is illogical that we will sabotage it. The issue pending at the OP is separate, though related to the case from which proceeds the strike vote,” Rivera said in a statement.

PAL questions strike vote legality

For its part, PAL questioned the legality and propriety of the planned strike vote of Palea.

PAL, in a statement, said the conditions that justify the holding of a referendum calling for a work stoppage were not present. As such, the notice of strike vote “is without basis,” it said.

Also, PAL said Malacañang has yet to decide on the union’s pending appeal for President’s intervention in the PAL-Palea labor dispute.

“Conciliation talks before the NCMB remain pending and have not bogged down. In fact, it was upon mutual agreement by PAL and Palea to suspend conciliation meetings to allow the Office of the President to act on Palea’s appeal to reverse an earlier ruling of the Department of Labor and Employment,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna explained.

She stressed that it was Palea itself which sought presidential intervention after losing its bid to reverse the DOLE decision recognizing PAL management’s prerogative to spin off its airport services, catering and call center reservations units. Thus, she said, the holding of a strike vote, despite its pending appeal, displays the arrogance and lack of respect for legal processes by Palea’s leaders.

“Our lawyers will contest Palea’s call for a strike vote, including their planned work stoppage. We believe Palea’s objective is to pressure Malacañang to rule in their favor and at the same time hold hostage thousands of Filipinos whose travel plans for the forthcoming holidays are already firmed up,” Villaluna said.

Some 3,700 Palea members from all PAL offices in Manila, the airports of Cebu and Davao, and even outlying stations in 14 cities nationwide will participate in the strike vote. Palea announced that everything is all set for the orderly conduct of the strike vote.

“[We urge our members] to vote yes in the strike vote in order to defend our jobs and secure our future. Those who have their day off tomorrow should go to work to register their vote and express their sentiments.”

Flights remain normal

As this developed, PAL assured its passengers that flights remain normal and continue to operate as scheduled.

“A work stoppage does not happen overnight. PAL will exhaust all legal means to prevent any disruption that could hurt the economy and cause inconvenience to the riding public,” PAL’s Villaluna said.

While PAL management has received assurances from various PAL employee groups that they will not join any strike, Villaluna said PAL has contingency measures in place.

“PAL has made arrangements with sister airline Airphilexpress and other local carriers to help carry domestic passengers, while PAL’s 134 interline partners are also ready to lend a hand in our international routes. To ensure the steady supply of food and other amenities, PAL also made arrangements with several catering firms to supply meals,” she said.