PROUD PALEAN. Palea members once again engaged students in a labor forum in the Ateneo last September 12, conveying their struggle against contractualization. Photo by Brian R. Go
THE SKY must be clear and blue right now for the Philippine Airlines’ Employees Association (Palea) after recent breakthroughs in their ongoing labor dispute.
Last September 13, representatives of Palea met with Philippine Airlines (PAL) president Ramon Ang, who replaced the flag carrier’s former president Jaime Bautista last April, after members of the union requested a courtesy call with the former in a September 10 meeting with PAL emissaries.
In an email interview with Palea Secretary-General Ambrocio Palad, he revealed that after the talks, Ang ordered PAL officials to “immediately settle the case/dispute in a just and humane manner.”
Palad described Ang as “down to earth,” continuing that “[he] even chided to us, ‘Nadarama ko ang paghihirap na dinaranas ng mga pamilya ninyo’ (I understand the hardships your families are facing).”
Negotiations between the two parties are still ongoing.
To the path of resolution
With these developments, Palad thinks that the talks are on the right track. “Clearly, the direction of the talks is reinstatement of the remaining Palea members who are in the picket line,” he said.
Ang, in a separate interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer published October 1, stressed that PAL is “serious” about resolving the issue. “We want to find a solution. What they are asking for, and what we can give, we will make the two meet… What’s important is that we treat them humanely,” he said.
The Inquirer also said that the PAL management has renewed talks with its former employees “to explore various options, including the reinstatement of former workers.”
While negotiations are going on, Palea promises to continue in advocating their cause of better labor conditions in the Philippines. For Palad, this involves educating not only their members on their rights as provided for by law, but the various stakeholders as well.
Palea and the Ateneo community
In this light, some Palea members went to the Ateneo last September 13 to take part in a labor forum sponsored by the student party Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (Crusada). Palea previously participated in a similar Crusada forum last May.
Palea President Gerry Rivera gave the jam-packed audience inside the SEC-B Lecture Hall a briefer on the history of the union’s labor dispute and the current situation. Last year, Palea staged a protest against the termination of 2,600 employees. The flag carrier justified its actions by saying that its finances are in the red, despite evidence seemingly revealing otherwise.
In the forum, the union said that, under status quo, even if PAL rehires the terminated workers, they will be reinstated on a contractual basis. According to Rivera, this means less wages and benefits than the regular, tenured worker.
Rivera also took the opportunity to thank many in the Ateneo community supporting Palea’s cause. Last August, Crusada organized relief operations for the union’s picket line in Pasay City, which was affected by the strong monsoon rains.
The union leader also urged Ateneans to reflect on Palea’s present struggle. “Sana sa karanasan namin ay matuto kayo na tratuhing mabuti ang mga empleyado niyo (We hope that with our experience, you learn to treat your future employees well),” Rivera reminded the possible future employers in the audience.
“Ang laban ng Palea ay laban ng Atenista, (The fight of Palea is the fight of the Atenean),” Rivera said.
Palad said that efforts such as these will go on. “We will continue this… We will continue to go out and talk to people,” he said.
Not just micro
Although it appears that the matter is between PAL and Palea alone, it goes beyond a simple dispute between employer and employee.
Crusada Externals Minister Julian Torcuator initially took the story of Palea’s struggles as something micro in scale. “It looks like another labor dispute, which is very common,” Torcuator said.
However, Torcuator explained that Palea eventually made him realize that this “was an issue about the dignity of labor itself, and how employers see their laborers.”
“Contractual labor is becoming a norm. Why is it being a normal thing when it shouldn’t be?” Torcuator said in mixed English and Filipino, pointing to widespread contractualization among major corporations in the Philippines. “Why is it so easy for them to lay off workers for the sake of profit or maximizing resources or cutting down costs?”
Rights of employees
Last year, Palea sought the help of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)regarding PAL’s outsourcing and laying off of workers. DOLE sided with PAL and accepted and recognized the company’s reasons for its actions.
This raised numerous questions about how the government protects the rights of the workforce. “The government will give more weight to PAL because ‘it’s part of the economy.’ But how about the workers? They are citizens too, with rights. Where is the government supporting that?” Torcuator said.
Torcuator also noted other issues concerning Filipino workers, such as the need to improve health and educational benefits. “Tackling these issues more in the civil society is also important,” he said.
While the leadership of Palea continues to negotiate with the PAL management, there remains the question of whether the developments and reforms the union seeks would be met.
As of press time, however, there are outstanding arrest warrants for 39 of Palea’s members. The arrest warrants were released last August 15 by the Pasay City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 44 on PAL’s charge of grave coercion against Palea, in connection to the union’s blockade of the PAL Inflight Center last September 2011.
