Nufam says Budget 2021 will cripple airlines industry

 

The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) is upset that the airlines, hotel, and tourism industries were not given strong support by Budget 2021 to help them weather the Covid-19 storm.

Nufam vice secretary-general Shashi Kumar said the budget as announced yesterday did not help those affected in the airline industry, and worse, would cripple the industry by next year.

"Nufam predicts airlines will be crippled further by next year if the government is offering this form of a budget to the industry.

"The people are now suffering and what they get in the end is just an upskilling programme, employment insurance and a RM500 EPF withdrawal on top of the Prihatin financial aid if they are entitled," he said in a statement today.

Shashi stressed that technical employees such as pilots and engineers did not need upskilling programmes and these would only benefit those who run these programmes.

"Instead of seeing job protection, we now see more reskilling and upskilling budgets which are very popular now amongst those who are in this business.

"Naturally, these groups will be much happier because retrenchment is a business for them. But how about saving the industry first before we allow all this to take place? There is a need for job security," he said.

Since airline workers were exposed to the Covid-19, Shashi said a "high-risk allowance" should have been given to them under Budget 2021.

Early this month, Malindo Air retrenched 2,647 employees due to financial woes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic while AirAsia laid off about 2,400 employees. - Mkini