Why were employees working at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) excluded from talks to privatize the Philippines’ primary airport?
That was the question posed by the Samahan ng mga Manggagawa Paliparan ng Pilipinas (SMPP) as it announced that it will file a court case opposing moves to privatize NAIA.
According to SMPP Vice President Gilberto Bagtas, workers inside NAIA weren’t consulted by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) or other government officials in their plans for NAIA privatization.
Bagtas added that there is “no reason” for the government to hand over the Philippines’ primary airport to the private sector as its estimated income of P20 billion a year is more than enough for the government to secure loans to improve facilities inside the airport.
"We don't see any reason why it should be privatized, but the big reason is to make money. But the airport is a service to people, not a business,” Bagtas told media.
“Right now, we all employees are afraid if it is privatized because there is no strong black and white what will happen to the employees, like the employees in Mactan Cebu before privatization they were promised that they would be given proper compensation But until now they are not getting anything and this may also happen to our MIAA employees,” he added.
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