PAL Workers Plan to Strike Before APEC Summit

The Asian Wall Street Journal

Wednesday, October 30, 1996

An ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL Roundup

MANILA — Philippine Airlines workers will defy a government order and stage a wildcat strike shortly before a summit of 18 Asian-Pacific leaders next month, union officials said.

An alliance of 1,400 unions, including those at Manila Electric Co. and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., said they will support the PAL strike.

A strike at the national flag carrier during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit could seriously undermine the government's efforts to showcase the Philippines as a newly attractive investment location.

Alexander Barrientos, President of the 9,000-strong PAL Employees' Association, said the union decided to strike because management is hiring contractual workers instead of regular employees.

PAL corporate secretary Antonio Ocampo said management regrets the union's strike decision and will prepare plans to minimize its impact. He said PAL will reduce flights to areas where other airlines are available and redirect them to areas where PAL is the only carrier.

PAL workers urged President Fidel Ramos to intervene in the dispute to avert the strike before the APEC summit.

"We are pleading for ... your timely intervention to douse the fuming anger of our members, which (we) strongly feel might trigger a timely mass action," the three PAL unions said in a letter to Mr. Ramos.

On Oct. 4, the PALEA filed a strike notice with the Labor Department. Two other PAL unions representing pilots and flight attendants had filed strike notices earlier.