MANILA, Philippines—Saying it should not “exacerbate” the labor row at the country’s flag carrier, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has ordered the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) to stop retiring senior flight attendants who turn 55 years old.
In a letter dated Jan. 28, Labor Undersecretary Hans Cacdac told PAL and the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) to desist from taking actions that could worsen the dispute at the airline.
Cacdac also ordered PAL to “suspend” its decision last month to retire eight senior flight attendants who had reached 55 “pending the final resolution of all motions relative” to the case.
He reminded the company that in accordance with the Assumption of Jurisdiction Order issued by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Oct. 6, 2010, both PAL and FASAP “are enjoined from continuing acts that may exacerbate the situation or give rise to further contentious issues or increase the tension between them.”
When reached by the Inquirer, PAL refrained from commenting about the latest DoLE order. It said it would issue a statement on Tuesday.
PAL had defended the retirement of the flight pursers, saying the Makati Regional Trial Court had already lifted the injunction it issued against their retirement.
But Bob Anduiza, FASAP president, said the lifting of the injunction did not give PAL the green light to retire the pursers since Baldoz was still reviewing her decision on the labor row.
In December last year, Baldoz ruled that the compulsory retirement age of PAL’s cabin crew should be 60 years old, but the airline appealed that ruling.
FASAP asked for DoLE’s help after PAL management sent notices of retirement to the eight senior flight attendants on Jan. 13.
“We are glad that the Office of the DoLE Secretary heeded FASAP’s urgent call to stop PAL from worsening the labor tension between PAL and FASAP,” Anduiza said.
“PAL’s move to suddenly retire our members and the manner by which they carried it out, giving them only three days before being thrown out of their jobs was really very provocative and cruel,” he added.
He said the DoLE reply to FASAP’s urgent motion “should serve as a reminder to PAL that it is not above the law.”
“We sincerely hope PAL management will rethink its combative stance and respect the DoLE’s decision. PAL and FASAP should start mending its bruised relationship and work together for the good of the country's flag carrier,” the association said.
-------------------------------
Read more Aviation News http://newsinfo.inquirer.net
View Model Aircraft
No comments:
Post a Comment