2 more airlines to pay overtime salaries of NAIA Customs workers

MANILA, Philippines - Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez said two other airlines aside from Philippine Airlines (PAL) have expressed willingness to shoulder part of the overtime pay of airport-based employees of the bureau.

Alvarez said he got the information from Tess Roque, Ninoy Aquino International Airport Bureau of Customs deputy collector for passenger services.

“There are two airlines, which she did not name, that are just waiting for instructions from the Board of Airline Representatives (BAR). But I said that it should not be a concern since PAL is also a member (of the organization) yet it paid the overtime. So, they could also pay the employees for the overtime,” Alvarez said.

More than 400 NAIA-BOC employees who worked overtime for 16 months were demanding extra compensation totaling P160 million. But the BAR reportedly refused, saying that the workers overstated their billings.

PAL paid P25 million covering the first five months last Dec. 16.

Those who have already received their overtime pay are from the domestic, export, collection, interline and aircraft operations.

Yesterday, it was the turn of BOC personnel from the Aircraft Operations Division (AOD). Next week, those assigned in the arrival area would get their share.

The P25-million shouldered by PAL represented 60 percent of the receivables, while the remaining P20 million would be divided among other airlines.

When asked how he was able to convince PAL to release the money, Alvarez said he appealed to the airline company in the “spirit of the holiday season.”

Besides, he added, the BAR cannot avoid its obligation since they still have to pay until Dec. 31. “They very well know that there is a cut off that by Jan. 1, 2011 they would no longer have to pay.”

The BOC would assign 78 additional personnel at the NAIA so that instead of two shifts, there would be three shifts on duty. The salaries of the newly assigned employees would be taken from the agency’s savings.

“If there is an issue regarding the accuracy of the billing, I would not believe that the discrepancy is 100 percent. Let us say it’s 50 percent, that would mean eight months. We are just asking for five months initially, so it’s still within the range,” he said.