PALEA gets backing of Occupy Protesters

Photo taken in Australia

Photo taken in Japan

Video taken in Canada

Press Release

December 16, 2011

PALEA

Just as truck drivers and longshore workers got the support of Occupy rallyists in the US, the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) received the solidarity of Occupy protesters in Canada. Occupy Toronto activists together with Canadian airline unions held a solidarity action at the Toronto international airport last December 10. Last Tuesday various ports along the West Coast such as Oakland, Los Angeles and Portland were shutdown by community pickets of Occupy protesters with the support of port workers who refused to cross the picketlines. As is the practice in Occupy protests, the Toronto rally was called a “general assembly” and speeches were “echoed” by the participants.

The series of solidarity actions for PALEA continued with a picket at the Tokyo office of Philippine Airlines (PAL) by Japanese railway workers last December 12. On December 14 another rally was held at the Philippine consulate in Melbourne that was attended by PALEA vice president Alnem Pretencio, the head of the two million-strong Australian Council of Trade Unions Geraldine Kearney and leaders of the Australian Services Union which represents airline workers including Qantas, Maritime Union of Australia, Victorian Trades Hall Council and Australia Asia Worker Links.

Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and vice chair of the Partido ng Manggagawa, said that “We salute the Occupy shutdown of the West Coast ports to demand justice for truck drivers and longshore workers. The fight for better pay, job security and union rights is a common struggle of port workers, airline employees and workers around the world. PALEA stands shoulder to shoulder with Occupy protesters.”

The latest series of solidarity actions for PALEA is the second wave after earlier rallies staged in late October to early November in Washington DC, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Renato Magtubo, chair of PM and co-chair of the Church-Labor Conference, declared that “The latest rallies in support of PALEA are a level up from earlier actions since the call for a boycott of Lucio Tan-owned PAL and Air Philippines are explicitly expressed. The widespread boycott campaign will hurt PAL since the regional flights to Australia and Japan, and the transpacific flights to the US are among its most profitable operations.” He added that “The fact that PAL is having a promo during the Christmas peak season belies its claims that its operations are back to normal.”

Rivera claimed that “The convergence between the youth-led Occupy protests and the workers struggles for wages, jobs and rights is a welcome development. Social change will come from the unity and action of the 99%.”

For a video of the Toronto action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV8lFtTCo7Q 

For photos of the Melbourne action: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.283439828375106.80352.100001272721169&type=1&l=94715c3e50 

For photos of the Tokyo action: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.282035501848872.80162.100001272721169&type=1&l=adb20681a6 

http://partidongmanggagawa2001.blogspot.com/2011/12/palea-gets-backing-of-occupy-protesters.html

Labor rights under P-Noy: Large gap between declared policy and implementation

PRESS RELEASE

10 December 2011

A large gap between declared policies and implementation characterize the conduct of the present administration in upholding the constitutional mandate of providing full protection to labor, the labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) said in a statement as the country celebrates the International Human Rights Day.

PM chair Renato Magtubo find the current state of labor rights “very depressing” under the present administration as "P-Noy is all talk but zero achievement in upholding labor rights.” 

Magtubo pointed out that when P-Noy assumed office in July last year, he carried with him a 22-Point Labor & Agenda with a declared policy in promoting employment and upholding labor rights.  The agenda has an an over-arching goal of “investing in our country’s top resource, our human resource, to make us more competitive and employable while promoting industrial peace based on social justice.”  

The labor leader explained that Item No. 3 of the said Agenda aims “to promote not only the constitutionally protected rights of workers but also their right to participate in the policymaking processes”, while Item No. 7 seeks “to align  our country’s labor policies with international treaties and ILO conventions in a sound and realistic manner.” 

Asked Magtubo: “Where is P-Noy now after declaring those big words 17 months ago? Where is P-Noy now after Lucio Tan locked out the 2,600 workers of PAL who were fighting for their constitutionally guaranteed rights?  Where is industrial peace based on social justice? ”

The labor group added that even the recent Conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO) held in Kyoto reminded both businesses and governments to prioritize long-term over short term employment.  The ILO’s Decent Work Framework which promotes equal opportunity and gainful employment was adopted by the Philippine government several years ago.

“Yet P-Noy’s labor secretary Rosalinda Baldoz who was present at the conference and who decided in favour of Lucio Tan in the PAL case, defended the outsourcing and contractualization as a necessary policy,” lamented Magtubo,

The former partylist representative said the PAL issue had become a litmus test to P-Noy and this unresolved issue of social justice will continue to hound his administration whose popularity is mainly bolstered by a populist campaign on anti-corruption.

Source: http://partidongmanggagawa2001.blogspot.com/2011/12/labor-rights-under-p-noy-large-gap.html

FIGHT CORPORATE GREED! SUPPORT PALEA! BOYCOTT PAL!

We, members of the Filipino-American community in the US, overseas Filipino workers from all over the world and concerned citizens of other countries, are deeply bothered by the injustice against workers of the Philippine’s flag carrier, the Philippine Airlines.

We express our serious concern at the plight of the more than 2,000 ground workers of Philippine Airlines. These workers, who are members of the Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA), were locked out and terminated after a protest conducted by the union members against the implementation of PAL’s outsourcing scheme.

We are alarmed at the violence experienced by these workers in the hands police forces, private security guards and even hired goons who are trying to stop these workers from expressing their legitimate concerns. PAL’s harassment of the protesting workers is also clear from its decision to strip these union members of their hard-earned travel benefits. 

We are indignant that after 13 years of suspension of collective bargaining to rehabilitate and help PAL recover from the 1997 Asian financial crisis, PAL, instead of rewarding its employees for their sacrifice, decided to terminate these workers and convert their jobs into contractual positions. It is important to note that in their latest financial report for the fiscal year ending March 2011, PAL declared substantial net profits of more than US$65 Million, contrary to their claim that the company is suffering from financial losses.

We are disturbed that the Aquino government’s tacit endorsement of Lucio Tan’s contractualization scheme belies its pronouncements of creating decent jobs for Filipino workers and that this support of PAL’s union busting and contractualization scheme is tantamount to the government's policy declaration that will surely serve as a green light to other corporations. 

We strongly support the demand of PALEA that its members should be allowed to return to work as regular employees and the scrapping of PAL’s outsourcing and contractualization scheme.

We express our solidarity with the Filipino workers whose internationally recognized rights to decent jobs, to collective agreement, to peaceful assembly have been violated by Philippine Airlines, supported by the Aquino administration.

We call on the government of the Philippines to use its power to intervene industrial disputes to protect not only the workers of PAL and their families but also to send a message that the Aquino administration is serious in delivering on its promise of providing decent employment to Filipinos, instead of taking the side of the greedy Lucio Tan who controls the bulk of the country’s airline industry.

Lastly, we call on the riding public, especially overseas Filipino workers, to fly with alternative airline companies and stop patronizing Philippine Airlines! We call on everyone to join us in this fight against corporate greed! We call on everyone to boycott Philippine Airlines!

Signed:
Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP)
ANSWER-Los Angeles
BANTAY Pilipinas-Los Angeles
Echo Park Community Coalition
Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace (EFJP)-US
Justice for Filipino-American Veterans (JFAV)-Los Angeles
Partido ng Manggagawa (PM)-USA