PAL Flights Grounded

Business World

Thursday, October 31, 1996

Thousands of passengers were stranded last night as the Philippine Airline Employees' Association (PALEA) began its nationwide strike.

By 6 p.m, yesterday, PALEA members have left their respective work areas and trooped to the picket line to denounce airline management's alleged union-busting activities and unfair labor practices.

Jose Bong Peñas, PALEA National Secretary, said the strike started in Mactan, followed by Davao.

PAL operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) stopped at 7 p.m. yesterday as word of the strike in Davao and Mactan reached the main airport in Manila.

Mr. Peñas said union members have no option but to push through with the strike in order to protest the union-busting activities of the airline which will allegedly affect some 8,000 regular PALEA members.

The union filed through mail a second notice of strike early yesterday morning with the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB).

"We are officially on strike. This is our last resort to defend ourselves from management's onslaught against our members," Mr. Peñas said.

At the same time, PALEA apologized to the airline passengers affected by the sudden strike.

As estimated 1,000 passengers booked on international flights bound for Europe, Los Angeles and San Francisco were reportedly adversely affected by yesterday's strike.

PALEA counsel Arno Sanidad said the strike is legal since it was launched to protest management's union-busting tactics. — E. C. Tanquintic