Int’l labor group seeks Aquino’s intervention in PAL feud

MANILA, Philippines – The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), is urging President Benigno Aquino III to intervene in the Philippine Airlines (PAL) labor dispute.

Headquartered in London, the ITF represents more than 4.6 million transport workers in 759 unions across 155 countries, including 269 aviation unions with 645,609 members collectively.

“The PAL management is  viewed as a classic example of opportunism, with the aim of cutting jobs, downgrading conditions and breaking the union,” David Cockroft, general secretary of the ITF said in a letter to Aquino.

He said there are far more productive approaches to industrial relations.

“The strongly urges your government to act swiftly and decisively to intervene in the PAL-PALEA dispute to facilitate an acceptable resolution,” said Cockroft.

He said the ITF supports the Philippine Airlines Employees Association’s (PALEA) call for the new Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, to revisit the labor dispute, “and to make a decision on a just basis, especially given the potential social impact of the PAL management’s decision.”

Cockroft said PAL management’s move to outsource some 3,000 jobs is seen as a union-busting measure, since these employees are all union members.

In a ruling last June, then Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman said PAL management had the prerogative of contracting out jobs being performed by regular employees.

“These actions breach  provisions against labor contracting and on job security contained within the company’s collective bargaining agreement,” said the ITF.

Cockroft said that while the global aviation industry has been hard hit by the economic meltdown, this should not be used as an excuse to attack workers’ rights and the their unions.

In a related development, some 300 members of the PALEA will hold a pre-state of the nation address (SONA) motorcade and rally on Wednesday at the labor department office in Intramuros. It is the first of several activities planned by PALEA and the Partido ng Manggagawa in the run up to Aquino’s SONA. – Rocel Felix, abs-cbnNews.com