PAL Pilot’s Problem Beyond Low Salary Issue – Lacierda
Latest News and Updates Philippine Airlines (PAL) Pilots Standoff and Mass Resignation as of August 4, 2010 8PM Asia Pacific TimeZone
The Philippine government stepped in this week to try to lure back the pilots who left amid threats by PAL management to sue them for breach of contract. Some of President Benigno Aquino’s cabinet ministers are involved in talks with the airline and the pilots’ union in an effort to find a resolution.
Aquino spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters Wednesday that the talks were continuing, but appeared to douse hopes of an immediate breakthrough. “We cannot guarantee that it would be resolved this week,” he said.
“We thought it was just a simple case of higher wages luring pilots to seek jobs elsewhere,” Lacierda said.
But he said the pilots’ union had since brought out more complaints against the management. PAL has been beset by growing labour unrest for months with ground crews and flight attendants also threatening strikes.
Meanwhile, PAL holdings is revising its fiscal year target revenue mainly due to cancellation of several flights following the resignation of about 25 high profile pilots last week.
The flag carrier, known as PAL, had said it expected to return to profitability in the 12 months to March 2011 after posting a net loss of 14.3 million dollars in its previous fiscal year.
PAL Executives Luring Back Resigned Pilots
Latest News and Updates Philippine Airlines (PAL) Pilots Standoff and Mass Resignation as of August 4, 2010 8AM Asia Pacific TimeZone
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines top executives including its Chairman Lucio Tan want the 25 high-end pilots who resigned irrevocably last week be backed though there are doubts of it happening because of the offers from other airlines which double the salary the PAL is giving as of this writing. Some government officials from DTOC and DOLE are assisting hoping that this standoff will be resolved the soonest possible time in order to avoid catastrophic effect in the national economy.
“We want them all back,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said on local ABS-CBN television, although he stressed the company could not compete with the hefty salaries offered by airlines abroad.
He said PAL was able to pay its top pilots only about 11,000 dollars a month, while overseas rivals were offering double that.
PAL has been beset by growing labour unrest for months with ground crews and flight attendants also threatening strikes.
PAL has accused the pilots of violating an airline rule requiring them to give 180 days’ notice before resigning, and has threatened legal action if they do not return.
Pilots’ representatives joined the meetings for the first time Tuesday, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters.
Lacierda said the government’s top priority was to have the two sides talk so that they could resolve the crisis themselves.
Aside from the immediate issue of the 25 pilots suddenly quitting, the pilots’ union also complained that its members were being forced to sign less attractive contracts with PAL’s budget subsidiary.
Lacierda said Tourism Minister Alberto Lim had expressed concern that PAL’s troubles would further hurt the Philippines’ aviation safety rating, after a 2008 downgrade by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
PAL flights to the US West Coast are among its most profitable routes, but plans to increase frequencies were scuttled by the FAA downgrade.
“That was the concern of Secretary Bert Lim — the downgrade by the FAA. That will be addressed,” Lacierda said.
PAL Situation Worsens
Latest News Latest News and Updates on Philippine Airlines (PAL) Pilots Standoff and Mass Resignation as of August 3, 2010 Tuesday 8:00 PM Asia Pacific TimeZone
Today, the problem worsens as more pilots and some crew resigned of their respective posts resulting to more cancellations of PAL local and international flights. The row between the resigned pilots and pal management is becoming out of control even with the instruction of President Aquino through DOTC and DOLE to resolve the issue the soonest possible time.
PAL is the flag carrier which means that the failure of it would give a bigger dent to the Philippine economy more than what we can imagine although majority of PAL stocks now owned by Chinese tycoon Lucio Tan.
Government officials already laid an ultimatum for the pilots to return in not more than two beginning today. Otherwise, penalties in accordance with the law will surely be executed citing a seemingly sabotage to the Philippine economy.
Based on separates reports through GMA News channel, the Pilots resigned because of unfair treatment by PAL management to them. The low salary is just a secondary issue. However, PAL refuted the claim citing green pasture being offered by bigger airlines from Hongkong and Vietnam.
Analyzing the situation, the pilots who resigned are ben to continue with their struggle citing some documents and indeed an unfair treatment exists. However, PAL management reiterated that the issue of unfair treatment is just ploy to justify their actions not minding what it can do the the country as a whole.
President Noynoy directed DOTC and DOLE Officials to Resolve PAL Exec and Pilots Issues
Latest News and Updates on Philippine Airlines (PAL) Pilots Standoff and Mass Resignation as of August 2, 2010 Monday 8:00 PM Asia Pacific TimeZone
The government of President Noynoy Aquino is facing another challenge again. It is not about the typhoon coming in the land but it’s the flag carrier Philippine Airline whose pilots resigned abruptly for unknowen reasons causing the cancellation of several international and national flights starting Saturday morning.
No less President Aquino has spoken and asked the DOTC, DOLE, and other government agencies to resolve the issues or concerns the soonest possible time as this is detrimental to growth of the Philippine economy as a whole.
Though majority of Philippine Airlines stocks is no longer controlled by the government, officials are legally supported and has the juridisdiction do something directly or indirectly knowing the magnitude of its effect should its concerns not be resolved soon.
PAL spokesperson Jonathan Gesmundo went on TV and radio to apologize to the public for the cancellation of flights.
PAL regrets the decision of some of its pilots to accept job offers abroad, causing the disruption of PAL’s flight schedules due to inadequate flight deck crew to fly the Airbus A320 airplanes,” the company said in a statement.
The company said it had asked “management pilots,” or former pilots that had been promoted to supervisory posts, to fly the A320 aircraft while the company looked for replacements.
PAL said it would adjust its schedules by merging some flights or upgrading the aircraft to a bigger type in order to lessen the inconvenience to passengers.
Some of the resigned pilots who spoke on the condition of anonimity said that their predicament is about not the low salary but the unfair treatment of the management to the pilots showing some documents to substantiate their claim.
However, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the PAL pilots whose resignations led to the cancellation of several flights yesterday may be liable for contract violations.
She said Philippine Airline pilots are required to give management six months’ notice before resigning, a condition set by the company and the labor department a few years ago when PAL’s pilots were also poached by other airlines.
“This was for mission critical jobs … It was extended from 30 days to six months so that PAL could find replacements,” Baldoz said.
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