KMU to Lucio Tan: heed PAL workers’ demands

Amidst a brewing strike by the Philippine Airlines’ ground employees and cabin crew, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno called on PAL owner Lucio Tan today to immediately heed the PAL workers’ demands, saying Tan has clearly gone overboard in implementing his anti-worker policies.

“PAL’s workers are sending a clear message to Lucio Tan: stop implementing your anti-worker policies. PAL workers can never take so much. They are only demanding the upholding of their basic rights as workers – to have a decent job, job security and proper compensation, and the right to collectively bargain,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“To maintain huge profits throughout the years, Lucio Tan has pressed down workers’ wages and benefits.  He has contractualized huge segments of PAL’s workforce through outsourcing and spin-off schemes. He has imposed a 10-year moratorium on CBA negotiations and de facto extended this. The workers want an end to all these,” he added.

PAL’s employees, led by the PAL Employees’ Association or Palea, warned the PAL management of launching a strike, citing PAL’s plan to outsource or spin-off segments of its operations which threaten to displace 2,600 workers. Palea also decried the PAL Management’s refusal, for two years now, to start negotiations with the union for a collective bargaining agreement.

Despite a much-publicized P80-Million package offer to PAL’s flight attendants, the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines or Fasap has expressed its willingness to go on strike. The group cited the PAL management’s refusal to budge on the attendants’ main demand of raising the retirement age of 40 and scrapping PAL’s “no-motherhood” policy.

“Tan, through his spokespersons in the PAL management, is citing profit losses to make PAL workers, and the public as well, accept the present state of affairs in PAL and management moves that do little to address workers’ demands. This is hogwash. The PAL workers are the first people to know if the company is losing or gaining,” Labog said.

“Tan is still the second richest man in the country today, whose net worth continues to grow. And a huge reason for this is his exploitative and anti-worker policies in PAL. There is a limit to his greed, as the recent statements and actions of PAL workers show. While he has been fighting for his superprofits, workers are fighting for social justice,” Labog added.

KMU cited a Forbes Asia Magazine report showing Tan to be the second wealthiest person in the country today, with a net worth of P1.9 Billion. PAL workers also cite PAL’s recent payment of previous debts and buy new aircrafts.