DOLE assures aid for retrenched PAL workers

MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) National Capital Region (NCR) will handle the case of the more than 2,000 employees of Philippine Airlines (PAL) to be affected by retrenchment.

In a statement on Thursday, the DOLE said its Metro Manila office will be the one to assist the affected workers.

“DOLE to handle the situation-1. To ensure the payment of separation pay; 2. To provide employment facilitation services; and 3. To offer livelihood assistance to interested employees,” it said.

It added that the company has to notify affected workers a month before the scheduled termination.

“PAL needs to notify DOLE and the employees 30 days prior to the effectivity of the termination,” it said.

On Wednesday, DOLE and PAL officials had a meeting on Wednesday afternoon. No further details of the meeting were disclosed.

On Tuesday, PAL, Asia’s oldest commercial carrier, announced that it will be decreasing 30 percent of its workforce due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 2,300 employees are either terminated or offered voluntary separation packages.

The employment of the affected employees will only be until the middle of March this year.