MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) will picket tomorrow the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Manila, a move it will not be dropping plans of a massive strike in the future.
PALEA President Gerry Rivera told abs-cbnNEWS.com the planned strike will be postponed for now but there is no reason for the group not to continue with plans that was set as early as a week ago.
“We followed all processes set by law. What is left for labor then? The only way for us is to defy it,” he said.
The ground crew union of the flag carrier is set to picket the DOLE office in Manila at 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
This is in preparation for bigger protest actions leading towards May 1, Labor Day.
Tomorrow’s action is out of protest to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz’s certification order barring the work stoppage.
The certification comes a day before the planned strike. “The plan was there. We were supposed to implement the strike at 12:01 p.m. on April 2,” he said.
He noted the certification was a “stab at the back” since all went well during the “dress rehearsals” on Friday.
PALEA organized a big protest rally, attended by different labor groups, in preparation for the strike supposedly the following day. “We were even at the conciliation meeting [on the very same day], we did not have a hint that they have an order,” Rivera said.
It was only around 6:00 p.m. on Friday that the PALEA office received the order, which also enjoins the PAL management from locking out the workers.
He said it will now be up to the DOLE and Malacanang how to interpret the protest action tomorrow.
“It’s up to them if they will reprimand us, it’s just a mere exercise of our right. It will be me who will declare a strike,” he said, noting too that he has called on members to join the picket.
“Of course, there will be inconveniences [if the workers join us]. We can’t stop [the DoLE from thinking that we are already on strike],” he said.
Malacanang also this morning warned PALEA of any illegal strikes if they defy the certification order.
“But what’s in it for us now? What benefits can they give us?...It is up to us now, we will test the law,” he said.
