Malaya
Friday, November 1, 1996
By MON ACASIO
The management of Philippine Airlines yesterday gave striking employes until noon today to return to work or face termination, saying that their strike is illegal.
But the strikers, belonging to the Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (Palea), said they would not recognize the order as they said it could be issued only by the Department of Labor and Employment.
Palea has filed a notice of strike for alleged unfair labor practices.
The Labor department has assumed jurisdiction over the dispute on the ground that alleged labor violations are not grounds for strike.
As of late last night, PAL represented by lawyer Luis Hermitanio and Palea, through lawyers Arno Sanidad and Teodore Te, were working out their differences at the DOLE office in Intramuros, with Labor Underscretary Jose Español mediating.
PAL officials, in issuing the return to work order, told Palea that the mass action which started Wednesday night was illegal because the DOLE has assumed jurisdiction over the dispute.
Labor Secretary Leonardo Quisumbing had earlier issued two assumption orders, warning PALEA against acts that "may exacerbate the situation."
Jose Antonio Garcia, PAL President and Chief Operating Officer, warned the strikers: "The company shall consider any employee who fails to report to work as herein directed to have abandoned his position and lost his employment status giving the Company the right to validly hire his replacement."
Sanidad said only DOLE can issue a return to work order. He also said PAL management can terminate workers only after getting approval of the National Labor
Relations Commission.
PAL officials said they expect 80 percent of the work force to return to work before the deadline.
The strikers failed to paralyze PAL's operations, managing to cancel only seven international and 27 domestic flights. The number of domestic flights to be cancelled, however, is expected to increase.
PAL officials at the NAIA said that out of 700 employes assigned to the morning shift at the airport, at least 500 reported for work.
All other international airlines suffered delays of at least two hours.
The number of people in picket lines also dwindled. They refused to be photographed apparently to avoid reprisal.
Members of the Manila International Airport Services Corp. and the Philippine Air Ground Services took over ground handling jobs abandoned by the strikers.
Several international airlines brought in additional personnel and doubled their in-flight meals load to avoid inconvenience caused by the wildcat strike.
Cathay Airlines even brought in 15 ground crew and mechanics from Hong Kong.
Other international airlines with offices in Manila sent personnel from the sales and personnel offices to the NAIA.
These measures prevented international airlines from suffering long delays. Delays for the international airlines averaged an hour.
PAL said it operated a total of 12 international flights in and out of Manila as of 4 p.m. Thursday, or 22 hours since the wildcat strike.
At the peak of the Palea strike Wednesday night, more than 800 unionists and outside supporters manned the picket lines resulting in the cancellation of flights to nine regional and 40 domestic points.
However, the number of strikers began to dwindle to noon yesterday with less than 200 remaining at the picket lines late yesterday afternoon.
PAL managed to operate a total of seven departures from Manila including two flights bound for Hong Kong, and one each bound for San Francisco, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Narita, and Seoul. Arrivals included flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York/Vancouver, Narita, and Singapore.
The strike failed to get support. In Cebu, for instance, 16 domestic flights were operated to and from various points in the Visayas and Mindanao, PAL said. (With Pinky Mag-iba)
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