Resolution at the ICLS Conference on PAL Dispute

November 19, 2010

Resolution Calling on President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines to Reverse the Ruling of his Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary on the Philippine Airlines Labor Dispute

We, the participants of the 6th International Center for Labor Solidarity (ICLS) Conference held on November 18-19, 2010 in Taipei, Taiwan, express our strongest solidarity to our embattled worker brothers and sisters from the Philippine Airlines,

We, workers and union activists coming from Australia, Burma, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand, believe that the recent decision of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz to allow Philippine Airlines' management to outsource so-called non-core sections of its business and lay-off 2,600 regular employees would set a dangerous trend for capitalists to replace regular jobs with irregular workers,

We believe that such a decision infringes on workers' and union rights,

We believe that such a decision would spell the death of job security in Philippine Airlines and the whole country,

We, therefore, call on President Benigno Aquino III to reverse this anti-worker and anti-union decision in the interest of upholding workers rights and decent jobs,

Be it resolved,

International Center for Labor Solidarity (ICLS)
Taiwan Conference 2010

Introduced by:
Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP)
Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon (PMT)
Bagong Kapisanan ng Manggagawa - Philippine National Railways (BKM-PNR)

Phase-out ng kuliglig sa Maynila, Hindi Makatarungan, Labanan!

Phase-out ng kuliglig sa Maynila
Hindi Makatarungan, Labanan!

Isang mahigpit na pakikiisa ang ipinaabot ng Pagkakakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon sa hanay ng mga pumapasada ng kuliglig sa lungsod ng Maynila. Sama-sama nating haharapin ang unos na nagbabadyang umatake sa inyong hanay.

Sa darating na Disyembre 1, 2010 pamamaskuhan ni Mayor Alfredo Lim ang mga kapatid na manggagawa na pumapasada ng kuliglig sa buong Maynila. Sa bisa ng Executive Order #17, na ipinalabas ng tanggapan ng punong lungsod, ay tuluyan nang tatanggalin sa mga lansangan ng Maynila ang mga kuliglig. Isang pasko at bagong taong walang katarungan ang dala ng hindi makataong kautusan na ito.

Sinasabi ng kautusan ni Mayor Lim na bawal ang pagkakabit ng motor sa mga ating mga kuliglig dahil dapat ay rehistrado ang mga ito sa Land Transportation Office. Bakit hindi natin iparehistro? Kung mga bangkang pangisda na halos parehong motor ang gamit ay napaparehistro sa mga munisipyo, bakit hindi tayo? Hindi solusyon ang tuluyang pagbabawal sa atin. Tayong mga umaasa lamang sa pagpapasada ng kuliglig ay saan pupunta?

Tinuturo ring dahilan ng kautusan ang pagiging sagabal natin sa kalsada. Totoong may ilan sa ating walang disiplina sa daan, ngunit hindi iyan totoo para sa lahat. Dapat maintindihan ng pamahalaan na ito ang ating kabuhayan, sa pagsisikip ng lansangan kasama ang ating kabuhayan sa naapektuhan. Hindi tayo tututol sa pag-aayos ng mga daloy ng trapiko sa Maynila. Hindi tayo tututol, bagkus ay makikipagtulungan sa pagsasaayos ng ating hanay upang hindi maging sagabal. Hindi solusyon ang pagtatanggal sa atin sa kalsada. Tayong mga umaasa lamang sa pagpapasada ng kuliglig ay saan pupulutin?

Tinataya ng pamahalaang lungsod na luluwag na ang mga lansangan ng Maynila sa pagtatanggal sa atin. Maaring totoo, pero paano naman tayo? Saan tayo kukuha para sa pangangailangang pang-araw-araw? Saan tayo kukuha ng pampaaral sa ating mga anak? Sadya bang wala na tayong karapatan sa disenteng buhay?

Malinaw sa ganitong pagkakataon na ligaw talaga ang pamahalaan sa paghahanap ng solusyon sa mga suliranin ng mamamayan. Tayong mga maliliit na manggagawa unang isasakripisyo para tugunan ang mga problema.

Pumalpak na si Mayor Lim sa hostage crisis noon. Huwag na siyang magkamali muli sa usapin ng kuliglig ngayon. Hindi ito ang pagbabagong ipinangako nila ni Noynoy noong kampanya.

Lumahok sa tigil pasada at martsa patungong Manila City Hall sa darating na Lunes, Nobyembre 15, 2010 sa ganap na alas-sais ng umaga (6am).

Ibasura ang Executive Order 17!
Labanan ang phase-out ng kuliglig!
Ipaglaban ang ating karapatan at kabuhayan!
Pamahalaan magsilbi sa manggagawa’t mamamayan!

Militant transport workers’ group unites with PAL workers

November 8, 2010
Press Release

Militant transport workers’ group
unites with PAL workers

The labor row at the country’s biggest airline is far from over.

In a press conference held in Quezon City Monday morning, various labor organizations extended solidarity to the embattled workers of the Philippine Airlines (PAL). They vowed to support PAL employees as they stand up against the apparent conspiracy between PAL management and the Aquino administration. They also declared to forge ahead in the struggle for job security of workers in the country.

Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawa sa Transportasyon (PMT) President Victor Gonzales said “The catastrophe that has hit the ground crew of the PAL has plagued workers for a long time. The outsourcing and restructuring scheme of PAL management is designed to extract greater profits prompted by increasing competition today. This is the devastation of workers that we call labor flexibilization or contractualization.”

“The troubles that beset our worker brothers and sisters in the PAL are borne out of the greed of its owner. It is not true when management says it is for the survival of the company. PAL is willing to cough up 2.4 billion pesos not because they care for their workers but because they know this scheme of theirs will earn for them a lot more.” added Gonzales.

PAL management earlier said that they will agree to cover the increased costs in separation benefits as ordered by the decision of DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz by securing loans from local banks and company creditors. PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna also shrugged off a second notice of strike from the workers’ union as mere “delaying tactics” and warned that any more delays to the spinoff would adversely affects workers’ benefits for the holiday season.

“PMT can see through this PAL plan and is ready to go all out in support of the PAL workers. We are set to mobilize our members all over the country for paralyzing protest actions. The PAL workers struggle is a fight for job security. This is now the battle of the working class against insatiable capitalists and their dogs in government.” explained Roger Javinal, PMT spokesperson.

“It was not so long ago when the same workers faced the collusion of Lucio Tan and then-president Erap Estrada resulting in a decade-long moratorium of the PAL workers’ right to collectively bargain. Such had contributed significantly in emboldening capitalists to blatantly trample upon workers’ rights and welfare, a condition that persists until today. Now, Mr. Tan has found another popular president as his sidekick. Like Erap, Aquino has exposed himself to be a fraud – an anti-worker and capitalist minion masquerading as the agent of change.”

“We call on Filipino workers not to let history repeat itself. Let us now unite to be able to hit them hard. Our future is in our hands. The end to our miseries can only be brought about by our own struggle to change this way of life.” concluded Javinal. #