KMU supports PAL workers’ fight vs. hiring of contractuals

Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno expressed support for Philippine Airlines workers’ struggle to defend their jobs and go on strike if the national flag carrier hires contractual workers to fill up several positions vacated by resignations, saying the PAL management has really gone too far.

PAL workers said that the management has been planning to hire contractual workers from the firm MacroAsia to fill up the positions of resigned customer agents – a move that may weaken the workers’ union in the flag carrier.

“Sobra na si Lucio Tan at ang PAL management! We support the PAL workers in their militance in defending their jobs and resisting the PAL management’s various moves to carry out its contractualization via outsourcing scheme. It is clear that business tycoon Lucio Tan will grab every opportunity to carry out its plan to reduce costs and acquire bigger profits by contractualizing PAL’s workforce,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“Lucio Tan’s arrogance in forcing through his contractualization via outsourcing scheme despite the ongoing protests and legal proceedings stems from one source: the Aquino government’s support for the anti-worker scheme. We condemn the Aquino government for conniving with Lucio Tan in the latter’s moves to contractualize PAL’s workforce and bust one of the oldest unions in the country,” he added.

KMU also challenged the leadership of the PAL Employees’ Association or PALEA to make good its threat of launching a strike.

“While PAL workers have repeatedly shown that they are willing to go on strike, the leadership of PALEA has only issued threats of launching a strike without actually launching a strike. We challenge the PALEA leadership to make good its threat of holding a strike, as this is clearly the will of PAL workers,” said Labog.

“Lucio Tan’s stubborness in implementing his contractualization scheme and the Aquino government’s shameless complicity with Tan leave PAL workers with no other option than to launch a strike. We will support PAL workers all the way should they launch the strike against Lucio Tan’s contractualization via outsourcing scheme,” he added.###