It is surprising that while the Government encourages the success
of NTUC in absorbing all Workers to be Union Members, it should
take on an intimidating role towards the activities of non-NTUC
affiliated Unions.
If the Ministry refused to intervene in the earlier wage disputes
between the Management of SIA and its Pilots' Union, why is it
trying to intimidate the Pilots' Union in the internal dispute of
the Union ?
With the Government being involved in the ownership of SIA, through
Temasek Holdings - (even as the Government tries to conceal this
fact by 'selling off' its shares, the fact remains that those
shares are then picked up by other GLCs investing its excess funds)
- should it take on a conflicting role by applying its own weight
towards Union Workers ?
The intolerance of the Acting Minister of Manpower, Ng Eng Han, is
showing its short fuse again, when it was first arrogantly
displayed towards the University Don's publication of the ratio of
Foreign and Singaporean Workers in Singapore.
The fact is that the Pilots are daring enough to take on the SIA
management over the misleading losses reported three months ago, so
as to justify and enforced the wage and benefit cuts, as well as to
retrench pilots; and now SIA has reported a net gain of $300
million within three months, and are embarking again on major Pilot
and Flight Crew recruitments
It is quite clear that the Government is renegading on its own
advise to keep workers, retrain and redeploy workers, rather than
to retrench them as a knee jerk response to short term
aberrations.
How easy it is to espouse morality to the local businesses and
industries, but to act differently when it hurts one's own interest
?
Hypocrisy in the double standards being practised ?
Ministry
watching pilots' action
THE Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is watching closely the developments
at the Singapore Airlines pilots' union whose leaders were booted
out on Monday by disgruntled members.
Acting Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen said yesterday that he was
concerned about the situation.
He cautioned the pilots about their 'very confrontational stance
and very adversarial poise' which, he said, put at risk Singapore's
position as an air hub as well as the jobs of other industry
workers.
'They have to ask themselves whether this is what they think will
help Singapore as an air hub,' he said at the opening of a fair on
learning and skills training.
He was replying to reporters' questions on the ousting of the 20
office-holders of the Air Line Pilots Association of Singapore
(Alpa-S), which has a history of challenging the airline's
management.
In urging the pilots to be circumspect, Dr Ng said the
repercussions would be severe if Singapore loses its position as an
air hub.
'Not only will pilots lose their jobs, baggage handlers, caterers,
the infrastructure at Changi and the whole industry that it
supports will lose.
'And that's a very key and fundamental aspect. So MOM is concerned
about the developments of the pilots' union,' he said.
Singapore Airlines' (SIA) pilots have been simmering since wages
were cut by between 5 and 16.5 per cent, 26 pilots were laid off,
and compulsory unpaid leave was introduced after the outbreaks of
the Iraq war and Sars.
Things came to a boil when SIA announced last month a stunning $306
million profit for the second quarter, prompting many pilots to
accuse Alpa-S leaders of giving in too easily to management.
