PAL may drop criminal charges vs labor union

MANILA, Philippines – The new management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) is considering taking a softer approach to the labor problems it inherited.

When asked if PAL will consider dropping the criminal charges against labor union members who went on strike that paralyzed the flag carrier’s operations in late 2011, PAL president Ramon Ang replied via text message to reporters: “Yes.”

PAL Employees Association (PALEA) president Gerry Rivera had issued a statement on September 11, calling on the new management, headed by Ang, to “facilitate the resolution of the pending labor dispute by, among others, dropping the trumped up charges against PALEA members.”

PAL is currently controlled and managed by diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. where Ang is president and chief operating officer. Ang replaced former airline president Jaime Bautista who headed PAL before tycoon Lucio Tan, the airline chair, forged a sale deal with San Miguel in April.

Under its old management, PAL filed criminal charges for grave coercion with the Pasay City prosector’s office over an October 29 incident involving 41 former employees. Protestors barred a PAL truck from leaving a facility housing the in-flight kitchen where meals for PAL flights are made.

The airline alleged that the blockage was formed to protest the airline’s new outsourcing program for inflight catering services, airport services and call center reservations, affecting about 2,600 employees.

In September and October of 2011, separated workers also camped out at the gates of PAL’s Inflight Center along MIA Road in Pasay City, blocking PAL employees and vehicles from entering and exiting the facility.

‘Positive feelers’ from new PAL leadership

Rivera was encouraged by small signs that the new leadership may be more receptive to resolving the labor dispute.

“Their (PAL) lawyer has called us up to ask if both parties can talk. We are looking forward to this. They are sending us very positive feelers and we take that as good sign,” said Rivera in an earlier interview.

“They have gone an extra mile to reach us unlike the previous management,” he added.

PALEA said the criminal charges were an irritant, hampering them from settling the labor row. The group added that the trumped up case was inconsistent with Ang’s promise at the PAL Annual Stockholders Meeting to find a just and humane conclusion to the long-running labor dispute.

The labor group will be going through with a scheduled protest rally on September 27 in Manila and Cebu and in cities abroad, including: Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Toronto, Istanbul, Mumbai, Lahore and San Francisco.

“As part of this solidarity, a global day of action for PALEA and other airline workers will be held on September 27, anniversary of the protest against outsourcing at PAL,” said the group. – Rappler.com