PALEA back as regular workers in pact with PAL

Press Release

November 14, 2013

PALEA

The union Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) hailed a settlement agreement signed today with the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) that provides for the re-employment of some 600 members as regular workers. In a private ceremony in a downtown hotel in Mandaluyong at noon, officers of PAL and PALEA signed the agreement.

“Resistance saved PALEA’s regular jobs. If we had accepted rather than fought the outsourcing scam implemented in 2011 then we would have become contractual workers trapped in an endless cycle of 6-month endo jobs. Or worse we would have become unemployed in this jobless growth economy. Instead we will be returning to our regular jobs in the next few months.” said Gerry Rivera, PALEA president.

The agreement provides for an improved separation package of 200% per year of service and P150,000 in gratuity pay for PALEA members. Within three months PAL shall process the applications for re-employment of PALEA members who will be given priority for hiring in regular positions.

“We owe this hard-won victory to the steadfast fight of PALEA members and the fervent solidarity of workers, community and Church groups both here and abroad. PALEA’s victory is the victory of all workers,” Rivera explained.

He added that “We thank PAL management led by President Ramon Ang for recognizing that an amicable settlement is preferable to continuing labor strife. We hope to build on this agreement and the protection of job security it provides towards rebuilding labor management relations in the flag carrier.”

At 5 pm today, hundreds of PALEA members will gather in the protest camp outside the PALInflight Center near Terminal 2 to hear a thanksgiving mass to be celebrated by Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo. Tomorrow representatives of PAL and PALEA will proceed to the other protest camp near the Mactan International Airport in Cebu to meet the concerned workers there.

Rivera noted that “We pledge to the riding public that as regular workers we can better provide quality service and safe travel. We call on our supporters to lift the boycott PAL campaign as PALEA’s demands have been substantially met.”

PALEA is planning a victory march, program and concert at the protest camp later this week. Last November 8 at the height of super tyhoon Yolanda, some 550 PALEA members out of the 600 affected, assembled and voted to ratify the draft agreement negotiated by its officers.

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Reinstate the sacked Philippine Airline workers

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Workers hold Valentine’s Day protest for reinstatement of PAL workers

Press Release

February 14, 2013

Contact Alnem Pretencio @ 09209543634

Workers hold Valentine’s Day protest for reinstatement of PAL workers

Members of the labor coalition Nagkaisa and the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) held a Valentine’s Day rally at the headquarters of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and called for the reinstatement of Philippine Airlines (PAL) workers back to their regular jobs. The rallyists dubbed their action as “Harana para sa mga puso” as it appealed to the new PAL management from the SMC group for a resolution to the long-running labor dispute.

“On this day of hearts, we knock on the hearts of the new PAL management to heed the demand for reinstatement. This is already the second Valentine’s Day of PALEA members on the picketlines and we are no less determined to continue fighting until we are able to return to our regular jobs,” said Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Hundreds of Nagkaisa and PALEA members assembled at the Podium around 9:30 am before proceeding to the nearby SMC headquarters at the Ortigas CBD. The Valentine’s Day protest followed a series of mass actions since October last year at the SMC headquarters. The protests led to the renewal of negotiations between PALEA and the new PAL management which is still ongoing.

Meanwhile the PALEA and PM contingent in the Valentine’s Day rally also bannered the demand “Manggagawa Naman!” as a challenge to senatorial candidates to put the concerns of labor on their platform. The protection of job security and promotion of regular jobs is a major concern of the workers in this election, Today’s rally is a continuation of labor’s campaign around issues for the duration of the electoral season.

“We challenge the senator wannabes to make workers issues part of their agenda. If our so-called democracy is not just all form but has some substance, then the demands of the majority of the voters—which is the working class—must be heeded by the candidates,” asserted Rivera.

The “Mangggawa Naman” movement is pushing for a set of demands which they call “Apat na Dapat”:

1.     Regular jobs

2.     Affordable housing

3.     Health and education for all

4.     Cheap food, electricity and water.

The "Manggagawa Naman" movement had kickoff activity in the early evening of February 8 when some 300 workers marched with torches ablaze around the airport area while carrying streamers and banners of their "Apat na Dapat" demands.