Ex-Philippine Airlines Employees Appeal to Pope Francis

Pope Francis and his global mission dedicated to social justice and people over profits has inspired a group of ex-Philippine Airlines employees to seek papal intervention to be reinstated to their jobs after PAL laid the workers off in favour of outsourcing. 

Image Source: ABC News

In a letter addressed to Pope Francis, the President of the PAL Employees Association, Gerardo Rivera, informed Pope Francis of the misfortune of the laid off airline workers that were relieved by sub-contract workers in 2011 as the airline implemented an outsourcing scheme designed to cut operational costs. 

"As the only major Christian nation in Asia, we deem an appeal from Your Holiness to the stakeholders involved - our employer, Philippine Airlines, and the goverment - to persuade them to exercise moral suasion that may prove decisive in a settlement fair to the workers," Rivera wrote. "We were fired with the intention of being rehired as contract workers doing the same jobs without security of tenure, lower wages, longer hours of work but without benefits," he added. 

River argued that the outsourcing scheme was "in contravention" to the social teachings of the Roman Catholic Church which has been an advocate of the primacy of labour over capital. The inspiration to write to Pope Francis came five months ago as the Holy Father made a public call for decent work and social justice on World Labor Day. In his remarks, the Pope encouraged governments around the world and those who belong to the public service to engage in efforts to offer "new impetus" to employment by setting the dignity of workers as a priority. The comments made by Pope Francis brought joy to the frustrated union members that were inspired to appeal to the Pope. 

"The teachings of the Church and the ideas of Your Holiness give us the strength to carry on our advocacy to be reinstated to our regular jobs," Rivera added in the letter. The campaign of the workers has drawn support from the leadership of the Catholic church in the Philippines including incumbent Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.