PAL Edging Toward Normal Operations

Malaya

Monday, November 4, 1996

Operations of Philippine Airlines started to move yesterday to normal levels as striking workers belonging to the Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (Palea) began returning to work.

PAL dispatched yesterday 18 domestic flights and half of the total international flights. Five international and 15 domestic flights had to be cancelled.

Full operations are expected by today or at the latest tomorrow.

The management is expected to come up tomorrow with a counter-proposal to Palea's P3.2-billion demand package under the collective bargaining agreement.

The 10-day negotiations to settle Palea's demands start November 11. Among the union's demands a P5, 000 monthly increase retroactive to 1991, Christmas bonus of 150 percent and other bonuses, an increase of overtime pay from 35.5 percent to 50 percent, increase in vacation and sick leaves from the present maximum of 20 working days to 30, in addition to menstrual, matrimonial, family and parental leaves, and a new collective bargaining agreement.

The workers also want an educational loan, attendance incentives, shuttle bus, vacation pay of one month, day care center, housing and car loan, and a retirement plan which consists of a lifetime allocation of a sack of rice a month, hospitalization and medical services, eight free tickets a year, among others.