Less than one in every ten wage and salary workers in the Philippines belong to a union. And of these few unionists, even fewer, only 12 percent, have collective bargaining agreements, which give them slightly better wages and work condition than those prescribed by law.
MEDIA RELEASE Nov 5, 2011 MANILA — Labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) condemned today business groups’ statement of support for the Philippine Airlines management whose treatment of an ongoing labor dispute hasreportedly turned violent last week. “The employers’ groups are overreacting to so-called illegal acts committed by PAL workers to hide from view the…
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Anakpawis Party Rep. Rafael Mariano said the SC’s reversal of its ruling on the FASAP case completes the “triple whammy of attack'” against PAL pilots, cabin crew and airport workers by various courts, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Malacañang.
By MARYA SALAMAT
By October 1, regular PAL workers are under threat of being locked out of PAL, as the Lucio Tan Group of companies would start its outsourcing plan in earnest.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Mar Roxas’ proposed budget slashed by 38-percent the government subsidy on MRT for 2012—from P6.9 billion ($162.7 million) to P4.29-billion ($101.15 million), despite reports of annual increases in passenger load.
PRESS STATEMENT President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s continuing assumption of jurisdiction (AJ) over the labor dispute in Philippine Airlines is prolonging the injustice being committed to workers in the country’s flag carrier. The PAL management is using the ongoing AJ as an excuse for not holding negotiations for a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the PAL…
By MARYA SALAMAT
Judging from the first six months in office of the Aquino government, there seems to be no relief in sight for workers who have been suffering from record joblessness, runaway prices of basic goods and services, and violent attacks on their democratic rights.
By MARYA SALAMAT
“The real test of whether Aquino’s assumption of jurisdiction order is pro-worker or pro-Lucio Tan lies in his future decision on Tan’s contractualization through mass layoffs and outsourcing scheme,” said Joselito Ustarez, vice-chairman of KMU.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Many labor and partylist groups in the country view the labor department’s approval of PAL management’s outsourcing and retrenchment plan as a go-signal as well for an even more intensified contractualization of employment arrangements all over the country.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Under the plan approved by the Department of Labor and Employment, PAL would outsource the in-flight catering, call center reservations and airport services (passenger, cargo and ramp handling) departments to “third-party providers” , eVentus PLDT and Skylogistics, two of which, employees revealed are Lucio Tan dummies if not directly under his group’s Macro Asia.
By MARYA SALAMAT
Now that the assumption of jurisdiction order has taken away the flight attendants’ right to strike, they are left with no recourse but to appeal to the media and the Filipino riding public “to join us and await how this new government will resolve the labor dispute.”