Not enough just to retrain airline staff, says union

 

Nufam regrets the lack of details on the type of training to be given to its members.

PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) says it does not foresee Putrajaya’s plan to conduct retraining programmes for airline staff to have any impact.

Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin said the RM50 million programme aimed at 8,000 airline staff has no meaning unless the aviation industry as a whole is given more attention.

“This is because there are more people from the industry who are likely to lose their jobs in the near future.

“This is a normal budget. What we actually want to see is a budget that can not only protect the aviation industry but also help save the nation’s economy as a whole,” he told FMT.

He called for more protection to cushion the impact of the pandemic on airlines and tourism companies.

“These are companies that have seen the most retrenchments. If this continues, then next year we could be seeing more lay-offs,” he said.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz earlier announced that Putrajaya will allocate RM50 million for retraining programmes for 8,000 airline staff, as part of next year’s budget.

Ismail also regretted the lack of details on the type of training that will be given, saying a lot of airline staff already had certain skills.

“We are also disappointed that the government only allowed Malaysians to withdraw RM500 from their EPF Account 1. The reality is that former staff of airline companies are among those who don’t have any other sources of income.

“There should also be allocations for those who lost their jobs to encourage them to start their own business. “Will those who lost their jobs be eligible to request for any loans mentioned by the government? I don’t think so.”

Last month, AirAsia Bhd and AirAsia X Bhd confirmed the retrenchment of 10% of their 24,000 employees. This was after the low-cost carrier had already laid off more than 250 of its staff in June due to the pandemic.

Last week, 2,000 Malindo Air staff were also issued retrenchment notices. That accounts for more than half of its 3,200 workforce. - FMT