MANILA, Sept. 28, 2012?A Carmelite priest urged the Philippines Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) to continue fighting against contractualization, as the group marked its first year anniversary of protest against outsourcing on September 27.
In his homily, Fr. Marlon Lacal, O. Carm, executive secretary of the Association of Major Religious Superior of the Philippines (AMRSP) underscored the Church’ role in defending the rights of workers to organize and seek just compensation.
The priest said the protracted protest of PALEA may have diminished hope among some of its members but he assured them of continuous support of the Church to their cause.
The Church will always stand by the side of the oppressed because it is her mission to do so, Lacal said.
The priest said he is praying that PAL’s new management will implement changes in favor of the employees.
“We will pray na sana may puso ang bagong pamunuan ng PAL. Ang laban na ito ay para sa kinabukasan ng inyong pamilya at iba pang manggagawa kaya walang bibitiw,” Lacal furthered.
Meanwhile, PALEA Board Member Atong Rivera acknowledged Bishop Broderick Pabillo’s role for them to be recognized by the new management of PAL.
Bishop Pabillo, who is also Chairman of the National Secretariat of Social Action (NASSA) has sent a letter to the new PAL President Ramon S. Ang citing the problem encountered by PALEA, to which Ang answered positively, Rivera said.
“Bishop Pabillo helped us a lot. Through him, we found a new way to reach the new management of PAL. Through his letter, [Ramon Ang] said as soon as possible he will fix the trouble between the management and PALEA members,” Rivera said.
On September 20 the lawyers of PAL had a meeting with the officers of PALEA.
“They [PAL lawyers] said they will call us for the next meeting. They asked what we want. Of course we want a regular job and how many members we have. We hope this is the start of the negotiation,” Rivera said.
Similar to PALEA’s case, various groups were participating in a day of action all over the world embroiled in labor rows over job security and working conditions on September 27, also called as the Global Day of Action against outsourcing in the airline industry. [SocialActionNews]
