New Year' Greetings from Philippine Airlines ground crew union PALEA

PALEA to prospective new owners: End in labor row crucial for PAL takeoff

PRESS RELEASE

December 29, 2011

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) expressed guarded optimism on the possibility that a change in ownership and leadership at the Philippine Airlines (PAL) may create an opportunity to end the flag carrier’s lingering labor dispute. 

San Miguel Corporation has confirmed news that the conglomerate is in advance talks with PAL owner Lucio Tan for a possible buyout of the ailing flag carrier.

The ground crew union, nonetheless, maintains its assertion that whoever gets control of PAL the fact remains that the airline can only takeoff and prevent further losses by getting the 2,600 locked out regular workers back.

“Bring back PAL's regular employees and it can fly anew with pride,” declared PALEA President Gerry Rivera, as he assured the public that within days upon their reinstatement, PAL operations would be back to normal.

“As a legacy airline, PAL is about quality service – quality service that only comes from a quality workforce.  The new owner/s must therefore consider this crucial human resource factor in their ongoing acquisition talks,” added Rivera.

PAL suffered heavy losses in the third and fourth quarter of this year after PALEA members opposed the company’s outsourcing/contractualization plan by refusing to transfer into assigned service providers.  PALEA’s protest in September 27 has forced the airline to scale down its operations for lack of skilled manpower to operate its passenger and cargo handling operations as well as its catering services. 

PALEA stressed that it is the failed outsourcing plan that pulled the flag carrier’s finances as well as its reputation down as consumer confidence is greatly affected by labor issues, low quality service and safety concerns. 

Moreover, PALEA supporters from the local and international trade unions, the Church, the academe, migrants and civil society groups, have launched a successful boycott campaign  -- all contributing to a significant reduction in PAL’s load factor.

Noisy camp

On December 31, the protest camp located at PAL’s In-Flight Center and Catering ServicesBuilding along MIA Road will be a noisy camp as PALEA members make noise to assertively and confidently greet the New Year with a call to end the labor row at PAL.

A media-noche will also be prepared at the camp similar to what PALEANs have shared during their noche-buena on Christmas Eve.

“2011 was really a turbulent year for PALEA and the entire labor movement.  Yet despite the storms, our fighting spirits remain intact.  We remain hopeful and we thank everyone who stood with us for keeping us strong and united,” concluded Rivera.

PALEA holiday greetings

Para sa lahat ng supporters at allies

Hope springs eternal at PALEA protest camp

PRESS RELEASE

December 23, 2011

They have been out of jobs during the last three (3) months but for members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) hope springs eternal at their protest camp which they likened to the traditional “belen” that gave temporary shelter to the infant Jesus. 

“Without the protest camp, PALEA members could have been wandering anywhere after being hit by the man-made tsunami of outsourcing.  Had we not fought the outsourcing plan, we would have ended having separate Christmas parties at Skylogistics, Skykitchen and SPI Global,” stated PALEA President Gerry Rivera. 

PALEA and their supporters in the labor movement and the Church are celebrating Christmas at their protest camp located at PAL’s In-Flight Center near Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. 

Blessed with support

Fortunately PALEA’s protest camp is blessed with continuing local and international support.  Aside from the Church-Labor Coneferece (CLC), the vibrant civil society organizations and migrant groups have joined the boycott campaign against PAL.

Today, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, director of CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action is celebrating an anticipated Misang Gabi at the camp.  Pabillo, who is also the co-chair of the CLC has been very supportive of PALEA’s struggle against mass layoff and contractualization. 

After the mass, the CLC, which includes different labor groups and church institutions, will share a Christmas party with PALEA members.  On the 24^th and 25^th PALEA members and their families will greet Christmas at the protest camp, their first noche buena celebration done outside their homes.

Scrooge PAL

Trade unions and international labor advocacy groups across the world, have also come in full support for PALEA.  Just recently, the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) has included PAL in its list of ‘scrooge corporations’. PAL joined Dole, Hershey’s and Wal-Mart in ILRF’s 2011 Working for Scrooge report (see link at http://www.laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/Working_For_Scrooge_2011.pdf).

ILRF is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide. It promotes enforcement of labor rights internationally through public education and mobilization, research, litigation, legislation, and collaboration with labor, government and business groups.

PAL executives admitted recently that the company incurred heavy losses at the height of the labor row and that its operations cannot get back to full normal even until next year.  Its reputation was also badly hurt.

Rivera, who is also the vice-chair of Partido ng Manggagagawa (PM), is confident PALEA has a good chance of winning its fight against PAL’s outsourcing/contractualization plan. 

“Of course nobody wants to celebrate Christmas the second time around here at the protest camp,” quipped Rivera.

Victims of man-made calamity: PALEA members celebrating Christmas at protest camp

 PRESS RELEASE

December 21, 2011

Describing themselves as ‘victims of a man-made calamity’, members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), with their supporters in the labor movement and the Church, are celebrating Christmas at their protest camp located at PAL’s In-Flight Center near Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“We could have joined the rest of our nation in the relief drive for the victims of Sendong had we not been locked out by PAL owner Lucio Tan.  Unfortunately we are also victims of a man-made calamity.  2011 is indeed a very difficult year for the working class and the poor who were made to suffer from both natural and man-made calamities,” stated PALEA President Gerry Rivera.  

Rivera explained that PALEA can’t do anything right now except to sympathize with the victims of Sendong, unlike before when they can easily mobilize and share their resources for victims of calamities through internal fund and relief drive. 

“To sustain our fight against the wrath of corporate greed, we have also been asking for financial and logistical support from our allies here and abroad during the last three months,” added Rivera who is also the vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Continuing support

Fortunately PALEA is blessed with continuing local and international support.  On December 23, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, director of CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action will be celebrating a 4:00 PM anticipated mass at PALEA’s protest camp. 

Pabillo, who is also the co-chair of the Church-Labor Conference (CLC) has been very supportive of PALEA’s struggle against mass layoff and contractualization. Aside from the CLC, the vibrant civil society organizations and migrant groups have also joined the boycott campaign against PAL.

After the mass, the CLC, which includes different labor groups and church institutions, will share a Christmas party with PALEA members.

On the 24^th and 25^th PALEA members and their families will greet Christmas at the protest camp, their first noche buena celebration done outside their homes.

PAL as Scrooge

Trade unions and international labor advocacy groups across the world, have also come in full support for PALEA.  Just recently, the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) has included PAL in its list of ‘scrooge corporations’. PAL joined Dole, Hershey’s and Wal-Mart in ILRF’s 2011 Working for Scrooge report (see link at http://www.laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/Working_For_Scrooge_2011.pdf).

ILRF is an advocacy organization dedicated to achieving just and humane treatment for workers worldwide. It promotes enforcement of labor rights internationally through public education and mobilization, research, litigation, legislation, and collaboration with labor, government and business groups.

PAL is a Scrooge—international labor rights group

Press Release

December 21, 2011

A Washington DC-based international labor rights watchdog has included Philippine Airlines (PAL) in its list of worst companies for the year. PAL joins giant companies Dole, Wal-Mart and Hershey in the “Scrooge list” of the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) for the “use of intimidation and sometimes violence, in the U.S. and abroad, to violate workers’ internationally recognized right to organize.”

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) welcomed PAL’s description as a Scrooge “since Lucio Tan stole Christmas from some 2,400 employees and their families.” Renato Magtubo, PM chair, said that “PAL has been naughty not nice to its workers so Santa did not grant its wish of a profitable year.” PAL has announced that it will end the year with losses to due its failed outsourcing plan and high fuel prices.

In its report, ILRF explained that “Some of this year’s Scrooges, such as Dole and Wal-Mart, are repeat offenders—giant corporations that refuse to uphold their responsibility to their direct employees and to workers in their supply chains. Hershey receives Scrooge status for the first time—an accolade long overdue—as the chapter exposes an ongoing pattern of the company’s neglect of workers’ rights and refusal to be more accountable to workers in its supply chain. The case of Philippine Airlines illustrates an increasingly common trend among corporations, the flexibilization of work, and how when workers protest against outsourcing, they are locked-out and fired.”

“This holiday season corporate greed at PAL is shining through,” the ILRF report asserted. The group is supporting PALEA by calling on the public to boycott PAL and its sister low-cost carrier Air Philippines until the workers are reinstated to their regular jobs.

“The right to freedom of association is typically violated through the use of bullying tactics and the spread of anti-union propaganda but this year’s Scrooges have taken violating workers’ rights to new lows. As we celebrate the holiday season, consumers and labor advocates can support workers by telling these Scrooge companies that they need to respect workers rights,” said Judy Gearhart, ILRF Executive Director.

Magtubo declared that “The Philippines is not on the right track but off course as far as labor rights is concerned.” The ILRF Scrooge list follows on the heels of a critical report issued last month by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) regarding the observance of core labor standards in the Philippines which also mentions the case of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) as substantiation. The global union body said that “In view of restrictions on the trade union rights of workers, discrimination, child labour, and forced labour, determined measures are needed to comply with the commitments” of the Philippines to international treaties.

The ILRF report Working for Scrooge is can be viewed online athttp://www.laborrights.org/scrooges2011. The ITUC report is posted at is posted athttp://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/wto_review.pdf.

PALEA takes fight to Australia and Canada

PALEA VP Alnem Pretencio meeting ASU airlines delegates (Photo courtesy of ASU)

 

PALEA VP meeting with ASU organizers (Photo courtesy of ASU)

Press Release

December 8, 2011

PALEA

The embattled Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) is taking its fight against the outsourcing and contractualization plan of Philippine Airlines to Australia and Canada. The vice president of PALEA, Alnem Pretencio, is in Australia now on a tour sponsored by unions with the aim of soliciting international support.

Meanwhile this coming Saturday (Eastern Standard Time), Canadian unions and groups together with the Filipino community will hold a demonstration at the Toronto international airport in solidarity with PALEA. Toronto hosts the biggest population of immigrant Filipinos in Canada.

Aside from expressing for PALEA’s demand for immediate reinstatement, the Canadian groups will be disseminating information about the boycott campaign against PAL and AirPhilippines, both owned by Lucio Tan. Yesterday representatives of various civil society organizations of migrants, students and NGO’s held a press conference to call for “Don’t fly PAL and AirPhil” and denounced Tan as “a Grinch who stole Christmas from some 2,600 PAL employees.”

On its second day of the tour, Pretencio had already met with bus, tram and train unions inMelbourne. Also he is scheduled to meet with airport workers represented by the Australian Services Union (ASU) and the Qantas aircraft engineers union ALAEA. More meetings are planned in the weekend and next week including with the militant Maritime Union of Australia. Pretencio’s tour was held in coordination with the Australia-Asia Workers Links and ASU.

In Toronto, the airport workers represented by the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), Canadian Union of Public Employees and the International Association of Machinists took the lead in organizing the rally for PALEA. Activists of the Occupy Toronto are also slated to participate in the solidarity action.

Among the reasons for the warm reception received by Pretencio in Australia is the solidarity shown by PALEA for the Qantas workers who are in a similar dispute with management over outsourcing, job security and pay. PALEA has twice picketed the Qantas office in Makatiduring the lockout in November 1 and as part of the global day of action for Qantas families last November 16.

The support by Canadian unions does not end with the Toronto rally. Early next year, the groups are planning to hold a similar solidarity action in the Vancouver international airport. CAW has vowed to make an active boycott campaign in the Vancouver since PAL operates flights to and from the international airport.

http://partidongmanggagawa2001.blogspot.com/2011/12/palea-takes-fight-to-australia-and.html