PAL cabin crews to strike

MANILA, Philippines—After talks with the Philippine Airlines management bogged down, a group of flight attendants and stewards on Wednesday announced it will push through with its labor strike sometime between October and November.

In a statement, the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) said it would no longer enter into further negotiations with PAL after its management refused to fix the mandatory retirement age of flight attendants and to correct the minimum wage levels for flight attendants and stewards as mandated by law.

Bob Anduiza, president of the 1,600-strong FASAP, said the strike will be held sometime between the end of October and the first week of November.

The decision to push through with the strike came after Tuesday’s meetings of the labor group with PAL at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board of the Department of Labor and Employment ended in a deadlock.

FASAP said that PAL still insists on paying P8,605 as minimum monthly wage of flight attendants instead of the P12,288 minimum pay mandated by the Department of Labor and Employment.

“It clearly showed that the PAL flight attendants' entry level pay of P8,605 is way, way below the present P12, 288 minimum wage,” Anduiza said.

Anduiza also pointed out PAL’s supposed gender discriminatory labor practices, particularly on the policy of early retirement.

“Its proposals to move the retirement age (of flight attendants) from 40 to 45 on condition of drastic work-rule changes to mix the domestic and international operations will result to retrenchment and mega-profits for PAL. PAL wants to paint itself as ‘reasonable’ but the real motive is to exploit the flight attendants,” Anduiza said.

“PAL is adding more conditions to muddle the issue and intends to make more money out of the dispute,” he said.

Anduiza stressed that PAL should address its discriminatory labor practices.

“PAL misses the point. This is not about making money. This dispute is about discrimination,” he said.

“The Philippine Commission on Women has already pronounced that PAL's policy towards its female flight attendants is discriminatory. The Commission on Human Rights chair, Ms Etta Rosales, has also pointed-out that PAL's retirement, pregnancy and maternity provisions for flight attendants are sexist and discriminatory, in violation of their human rights,” Anduiza said.


(2010-09-29/inquirer.net)