Flight attendants hit plan to lower retirement age

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS at Philippine Airlines (PAL) are planning to strike, accusing management of trying to impose a “discriminatory policy” lowering the retirement age to 40.

Roberto Anduiza, president of PAL- Flight Attendants’ and Stewards’ Association of the Philippines, said in a statement: “At this point, we have more than enough legal basis and documentation to file a Notice of Strike. Our issues are simple, yet profound. All we ask is for equality in the workplace.”

The association, which has 1,600 members, is in the middle of talks for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the airline. “In PAL, other employees are allowed to work until 65 years old. The pilots’ compulsory retirement age for both males and females is 60 years old.

But for flight attendants, the compulsory retirement age is as young as 40 years old,” Mr. Anduiza said.

Salaries of flight attendants have not been hiked since the CBA expired in 2007, he added.

Sought for comment, PAL spokesman Jonathan P. Gesmundo said: “We are in the middle of consulting our legal advisers. We would not want to preempt the decision of the labor department.” — Aura Marie P. Dagcutan, Businessworld