PAL union opposes outsourcing of workers

CEBU, Philippines – Labor relations within Philippine Airlines promises to become stormy yet again as its employees’ union, Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA), oppose the national flag carrier’s plan to employ contractual workers on June 16.

Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and Partido ng Manggagawa vice chairman, said in a statement that PALEA will return to the streets this week to drum up resistance to the planned outsourcing.

Rivera said PALEA considers the temporary outsourcing of regular jobs with MacroAsia as a backdoor implementation of the controversial contractualization plan and a violation of the April 1 order of the Department of Labor and Employment, which enjoined the PAL management and the union from engaging in any act that will exacerbate the labor dispute at PAL.

He said that if PAL pushes through with the plan on June 16, the union will act accordingly to defend the jobs of its members.

It can be recalled that during a strike vote last December, out of 268 PALEA members in Cebu, 162 cast their ballots and 130 voted yes to strike.

Last April 1, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz imposed an assumption of jurisdiction order on the labor dispute at PAL, which stopped PALEA from a planned strike and also enjoined the two parties from any acts that will worsen the labor dispute.

Last May 30, PAL informed PALEA of an acute manpower shortage for passenger handling due to the exodus of customer service agents who have sought greener pastures abroad and asked for the union’s cooperation in allowing MacroAsia to work the departure gates for a period of six months.

PALEA however rejected the proposal outright and suggested that the vacant positions be filled up by direct hiring instead of outsourcing to a service provider.

Rivera added that PALEA even offered to help in rehiring former PAL employees and recalling trainees who were not hired due to a freeze hiring program.

Discussions between PAL and PALEA on these stop gap measures proceeded and last June 9 the union submitted a partial list of people interested in the position of customer service agents.

“PALEA has extended the hand of assistance in solving the company’s manpower shortage. We expect that PAL will shake our hands in return instead of stabbing us in the back by outsourcing regular positions to contractual workers,” Rivera added. — (FREEMAN)