Airline unions demand reinstatement for PALEA in Global Day of Action

Photos of action at Melbourne airport at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.484791838239903.123818.100001272721169&type=1

Press Release

December 12, 2012

PALEA

Airline and other unions worldwide are demanding the reinstatement of members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) in a Global Day of Action today. The supporters of PALEA leafleted Philippine Airlines flights out of the United States, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong in a show of international solidarity.

“A win for PALEA’s fight against outsourcing and contractualization will be a win for all airline workers,” asserted the unions abroad that joined in the Global Day of Action. Meanwhile PALEA members staged a mass action near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport today in participation at the day of action.

The management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) under the new president Ramon Ang opened talks with PALEA last October after a year of protests in the country and abroad. But talks have stalled over the demand for reinstatement. Thus in the last few weeks, PALEA and the labor unity coalition Nagkaisa have launched four rallies at the San Miguel Corp. headquarters in the Ortigas central business district.

The bitter labor row between PAL and PALEA and the continuing protests in the Philippines and around the world threatens to upset the ambitious refleeting and expansion plans of the flag carrier.

Aside from reinstatement, PALEA and its global supporters are calling for the dropping of criminal and civil charges against workers. Two PALEA members, including a single mother, have been arrested and detained while warrants remain outstanding for 37 other workers.

Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) declared that “We frequently hear the alibi that outsourcing is an international trend that workers have no choice but to bear. But the reality is that resistance to outsourcing is a global phenomenon.”

Participating in the Global Day of Action are the unions IAM Local 1781 in the San Francisco airport; CAW-TCA Local 2002, IAM Local 2323, CUPE Local 4092 in Toronto’s Pearson airport; the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Maritime Union of Australia, the Victorian Trades Hall Council and the Australia Asia Workers Link in Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport; and the Hong Kong Congress of Trade Unions and the Alliance of Progressive Labor at the Hong Kong international airport. Unite-HERE Local 5 in Honolulu staged the leafleting earlier last Saturday.

The unions have vowed to continue leafleting PAL flights until the demand for reinstatement is met. PALEA and Nagkaisa have planned weekly protests to bring the long running labor dispute over outsourcing and contractualization to a conclusion favorable to the workers.

“We have endured 14 months at the picketlines, two attempts to disperse the campout and several typhoons because this is a fight for the future of the present and future generation of workers. PALEA will never give up until its members are back to their regular jobs,” Rivera insisted.

Workers to hold Jericho March at San Miguel in celebration of human rights day

PRESS RELEASE

December 09, 2012

Invoking the principle workers’ rights are human rights, members of the broad labor coalition Nagkaisa! will be celebrating the International Human Rights Day tomorrow, December 10. 

But instead of a traditional march to Mendiola, Nagkaisa! members is holding a ‘Jericho March’ at the headquarters of San Miguel Corporation (SMC)  in  Pasig City to lend support to PALEA’s year-old battle for reinstatement and labor justice. 

“The labor and human rights movement’s support to PALEA will never end until the ‘walls of Jericho’ which were preventing their reinstatement crumble,” declared Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) chair and one of Nagkaisa! convenors Renato Magtubo.

Aside from labor, the human rights community lead by the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) is joining the protest.  Both argued that PAL’s outsourcing/contractualization of regular jobs was in gross violation of the workers’ constitutional right to security of tenure.

SMC President Ramon Ang took control of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) in April this year after the beer giant infused at least US$500 million of fresh equity to the ailing flag carrier.  And upon his takeover of the captain’s seat, he declared that one of his top priorities was to resolve the lingering labor dispute in PAL.

“On the part of organized labor, we strongly believe that a just resolution of the PAL-PALEA dispute will serve the best interest of both parties, including the riding public who want to see PAL fly again with pride,” explained Magtubo. 

PALEA members had been fighting a desperate battle for reinstatement after the old management of the flag carrier locked them out in September last year after 2,400 regular workers refused to be outsourced in another service company.

Magtubo said the policy of contractualization demonstrated in PAL’s outsourcing plan is the latest form of modern-day slavery that workers want eradicated.

The labor leader also announced that beginning December 12, international unions will also beholding solidarity actions for PALEA at several airports where PAL has regular flights.