Court: Workers have no place in Piatco’s expropriation suit

The Court of Appeals told workers of the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. to take up any wage claims with labor authorities instead of joining the government’s expropriation case against their company.

The 15th Division through Associate Justice Monina Arevalo-Zeñarosa sustained the Sept. 17, 2008 decision, upholding the Pasay Regional Trial Court’s decision to dismiss the Piatco employees’ petition to intervene.

Associate Justices Marlene Gonzales-Sison and Sixto Marella Jr. concurred with the ruling.

The CA sided with the Office of the Solicitor General’s position that interests of the employees were not considered “actual, substantial, material, direct or immediate” because they neither owned nor claimed to own the property being bought for public use.

The Supreme Court had nullified the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 contract as being grossly disadvantageous to the state.

In turn, the government resorted to expropriation as a means to pay Piatco P3 billion for the cost of the building and maintenance.

According to the appellate court, wage claims must be threshed out with arbitrators or the National Labor Relations Commission.

The expropriation suit was filed on Dec. 24, 2004, pending resolution before the Pasay court.

On Jan. 13, 2005, Piatco employees led by Gina Alnas sought to intervene as citizens and taxpayers.

They said a portion of Piatco’s revenue is allocated for their salaries and benefits. –Rey E. Requejo, Manila Standard Today