Expect dirty airport toilets as CAAP terminates janitors, utility workers

MANILA, Philippines - Passengers going through the different domestic and international airports in the country should not be surprised by dirty toilets and poorly maintained facilities in the next few weeks as a result of a move by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to terminate the service contracts of utility workers and maintenance personnel, the CAAP Employees Union (CAAP-EU) said yesterday.

The union said this move, spearheaded by CAAP director general Ramon Gutierrez, to terminate the service contracts of certain employees – especially contractual workers – may lead to the deterioration of services and conditions at the 84 airports under the CAAP’s administration.

“These are people who keep our airports clean and presentable to the thousands of air passengers who use our airports. If they are going to terminate these employees, they should at least make sure that there will be people who will take their place,” the union said.

The CAAP-EU and members of the Philippine Airport Managers Association said CAAP officials have been warned about the adverse effects of terminating janitors and utility workers.

The CAAP issued a memorandum to all “job order personnel” and “personnel under contract of consultancy,” informing them their contracts would no longer be renewed when they expire on June 30. However, a subsequent memorandum issued July 4 extended their service contracts until July 15.

The union said CAAP officials are allegedly embarking on a “scaling down” of job orders and contracts of consultancy.

“If they have an agenda on the hiring of more unnecessary consultants or they want to replace certain consultants with their chosen people and hiding these under the cover of their ‘scaling down’ program, they should spare the utility workers and maintenance people who clean our airports,” the CAAP-EU said.

The country has 89 domestic and international airports but a few – like the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, and the airports in Mactan and Poro Point – are under the supervision of other government bodies.