By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Flight attendants of Philippine Airlines (PAL) moved a step closer to holding a strike after they and the flag carrier failed to reach an agreement at the Department of Labor and Employment Monday.
Andy Ortega, vice president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP), said a strike became more likely after PAL management insisted that the attendants’ main complaint about retirement age should be discussed only in the next collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
“The strike option is always there and is, in fact, strengthened after [Monday’s] meeting where nothing happened,†Ortega said after the negotiations at the National Conciliation and Mediation Board.
P80-M offer
At the meeting, PAL offered an P80-million package to the flight attendants and stewards to settle their CBA for 2005-2010 but refused to talk about their mandatory retirement age.
FASAP has opposed PAL’s implementation of a
mandatory retirement age of 40 for both male and female flight attendants, claiming it’s “discriminatory.â€
FASAP president Roberto Anduiza said last month that his group was considering going on strike because the CBA negotiations had dragged since the last CBA expired in 2007.
“They said they want to talk about the retirement age in the next CBA, which, for us, is simply unacceptable. It should be settled in this CBA negotiation,†Ortega said.
No-motherhood policy
FASAP is also contesting the “
no-motherhood policy†of PAL, which bars a pregnant flight attendant from receiving any salary or allowance and travel benefits while she is on leave.
However, PAL president Jaime Bautista said he was hopeful that FASAP would still accept the P80-million package the management offered at the conciliation meeting.
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