PALEA testifies at Washington DC on labor rights in the Philippines

Gerry Rivera meets with US flights attendants union at Washington DC

Press Release

January 25, 2012

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) president Gerry Rivera testified at Washington DC at dawn today (noon January 24 EST) on the suppression of labor rights by the Philippine government. Rivera faced-off with government officials led by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz at the hearing held by the US Trade Representative (USTR).

“PALEA presents a significant case in reviewing whether or not the Philippines have taken or taking steps to afford workers their internationally recognized rights. We submit that Philippine government has abused its power to assume jurisdiction (AJ) of strikes thereby curtailing workers’ rights to freely organize and bargain collectively. PALEA was not allowed to strike on two crucial occasions to protest the mass termination of some 2,600 workers and yet Philippine Airlines (PAL) was permitted to proceed with the layoff despite a pending case at the Court of Appeals,” Rivera argued before the USTR subcommittee on the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).

This is not the first time that the government, specifically Sec. Baldoz, had to face inquiries abroad on the handling of the PAL-PALEA labor row on outsourcing and contractualization. Last December 7, Baldoz was questioned by a delegate to the International Labor Organization regional meeting in Kyoto, Japan on PALEA’s protest.

Aside from Rivera, Josua Mata of the Alliance of Progressive Labor and Brian Campbell of the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) also spoke before the hearing to corroborate PALEA’s testimony and paint the “big picture” on the state of labor rights. On the government side, Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, Labor Undersecretary Rebecca Chato, Ambassador Jose Cuisia, Jr. and other Philippine embassy officials accompanied Baldoz.

At stake at the hearing are trade benefits accorded by the United States government to countries which it deems respects core labor rights and standards. The GSP subcommittee which held the hearing for the “review of country practices” includes representatives of the USTR, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, Department of State and Department of Treasury. The Philippines was put under scrutiny based on the petition filed by the ILRF, a DC-based advocacy organization.

Rivera also met with the top union officials of the AFL-CIO and its constituent organizations to solicit support for its fight against contractualization and boycott campaign. Among those which expressed concern and solidarity was the Association of Flight Attendants which will include PALEA’s plight in its upcoming “Occufly” protest in California on February. US-based unions and Fil-Am groups are spearheading boycott campaigns in the West Coast cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Vancouver where PAL has its most profitable flights.

Rivera’s testimony came on the heels of renewed protests by PALEA yesterday. Members of PALEA together with Partido ng Manggagawa held a motorcade from the protest camp to PAL’s offices at the airport, PNB Building in Macapagal Ave. and Allied Bank Building in Ayala.

Watching intently PAL’s sale to new owner: PALEA welcomes Chinese new year with Ayala motorcade and impeachment rally

Press Release

January 24, 2012

PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) welcomed the Chinese new year with a motorcade today to highlight its call to new investors of Philippine Airlines (PAL) for the reinstatement of retrenched workers. PALEA is “watching intently” not necessarily of “welcoming enthusiastically” reports of PAL’s sale to interested investors such as Ramon Ang of SMC and Manny Pangilinan of Metro Pacific.

Nonetheless the union is hoping that a new owner may lead to a breakthrough to resolve the labor dispute. “PALEA’s fight continues in the year of the water dragon. This promises to be the year of PALEA’s return to work,” averred Bong Palad, PALEA secretary.

At 10:00 am, the PALEA motorcade left the protest camp outside the PAL In-Flight Center then proceeded to the Nichols offices onto the Allied Bank Building at Ayala where Lucio Tan holds office then the Senate for the impeachment trial and ended at the airline headquarters at the PNB building at

Macapagal Ave.

.

At the Senate grounds, Palad insisted that “The ‘Coronavela’ is a case of the teapot calling the kettle black and the kettle accusing the teapot it is unclean. Pnoy and Corona may be fighting over Gloria Arroyo and Hacienda Luisita but both are beholden to Lucio Tan as revealed by the plight of PALEA and the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association (FASAP).”

 “Since Lucio Tan has been closed to even talking with PALEA, then any change in PAL’s management leaves open the possibility of a change in attitude to the protracted labor dispute,” Palad said. He explained that “PAL’s new owners may in the end be no different from Lucio Tan as regards its attitude to PALEA. But as it stands now, anybody but Lucio Tan is better. So in the meantime, PALEA’s fight continues and it demands of any new owner the reinstatement of retrenched workers to their regular jobs,” Palad explained.

Contrary to Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda’s view that investments by a new owner in PAL will lead to improve image, PALEA insists that only the return of the locked out skilled and experienced workers will make PAL fly again. “PAL’s operations have deteriorated not because of a lack of finances and shiny new planes but because of the ‘palpak’ service by inexperienced contractuals and scabs. It is not a refleeting but the reinstatement of PALEA members that will lead to PAL’s return to normalcy. Bring back PALEA members and PAL will soar again in three days,” Palad asserts.

He also revealed that PALEA president Gerry Rivera is set to testify on tomorrow (January 24 noon EST) at Washington DC on the repression of labor rights by the government. PALEA has been invited to the hearing by the US Trade Representative on the petition by the government for trade benefits under the GSP (general system of preferences). Countries which respect internationally core labor rights and standards receive preferential treatment from the US.

Saulog Sinulog alang kang Sr. Sto. Nino, Pit Senyor!!!

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.