Palace backs DoLE chief ruling on PAL row

The Palace said yesterday it is four-square behind Labor Secretary Rosalindo Baldoz’s decision favoring flag-carrier Philippine Airline’s (PAL) outsourcing of its businesses that resulted in the layoff of 2,600 employees while at the same time advising the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (Palea) to exhaust legal remedies to defend their rights.

Deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte told Palace reporters that affected employees of PAL can turn to several legal remedies after the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) gave the go signal for the PAL management to lay off its employees.

Valte said among the remedies available to PAL employees is the filing of a motion for reconsideration to the Court of Appeals (CA) on the DoLE decision.

Valte said Malacañang is supporting the decision of Baldoz which she said was based on laws, adding that the affected PAL

PAL employees will receive their compensation.

Valte made the statement after members of the PALEA marched to Mendiola to stage a protest on the decision and asked President Aquino to fire Baldoz who they called as anti-labor.

Valte said Aquino’s intervention is not necessary at this point.

“I read the decision of Secretary Linda Baldoz and it was based on law, as far as I have been informed. The finer points (of which), as far as I can recall, is that the exercise of the management on its prerogative was valid. They (affected PAL employees) were also assured of the benefits that are entitled to them under the law. So we don’t have any problem as long as the decision is based in law and is rendered on the basis of the facts as pleaded,” Valte told reporters.

Malacañang, meanwhile, branded as “unfair” criticisms that the Aquino adminis-tration is no different than the previous government when it comes to addressing labor issues as it apparently continues to uphold capitalist principles to the detriment of the workers.

“I think those compa-risons are not fair because, as I said, as long as the facts and the evidence pleaded warrant the decision, that will serve as our only basis,” Valte said.

The DoLE explained in its decision that the 2,600 PAL employees belonging to the in-flight catering, airport services (cargo handling), and call center reservations operations of the flag-carrier are all guaranteed with employment and hefty transition benefits.

Riot police blocked a road leading to Malacañang as Palea members marched to calling on Aquino to reverse a labor department ruling on their case that was handed down last weekend.

The DoLE upheld PAL’s decision to outsource its in-flight catering, cargo handling and call center reservation services, a ruling that union leader Gerry Rivera said could lead to the loss of 2,600 jobs.

“We stand to lose our jobs, and many of us have invested our lives (in) the airline,” Rivera said.

“The president can always reverse the unlawful decision, because the labour department is an extension of his office,” he added.

PAL president Jaime Bautista called on the ground staff to respect the ruling and warned the ground staff against walking out and disrupting operations.

Bautista told local television that the airline planned to implement its outsourcing plan for ground crew, in consultation with the affected union, to ensure a smooth change.

“There is process that we will have to follow and we will have to submit and tender notices, and we want them to accept this,” he said.

Rivera told AFP the union planned to sue PAL and continue its street protests. –Aytch S. de la Cruz, Daily Tribune