In September 2011 Philippine Airlines locked out 2600 workers and then sacked them. The workers had refused to accept their jobs being outsourced leading to a 50% cut in wages, loss of benefits including health insurance, longer working hours and loss of union coverage. QANTAS grounded all of their fleet in October 2011 to pressure unions to drop their demand for secure jobs and wages for all workers. QANTAS has sacked over 500 workers in a long term plan to move its heavy maintenance bases offshore. A big part of outsourcing is the attempt to break our unions. If airline workers take industrial action, on the same day, in a co-ordinated way, all over the world, we will be stronger and more effective. The workers at Philippine Airlines, organised by their union PALEA, are calling for a Global Day of Action in the airline industry on 27 September 2012, anniversary of PALEA's protest against outsourcing. The Global Day of Action has received endorsement from the International Transport Federation at their recently held Asia Pacific meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Download leaflet.
