MAS: When staff are dumped and deceived

Being unemployed is in itself traumatic enough, made worse by an indecent redundancy package devoid of compassion.

COMMENT

By Marion Tharsis

When the new CEO first reported for work, we were given a rather rosy picture of a reasonably good severance package for those who would be asked to leave the airline.

However, recent reports of the staff being subjected to inhumane and unorthodox treatment without a standard procedure being implemented, serves as a shock treatment.

We all want MAS to be rescued and returned to profitability but not at the expense of treating the unfortunate staff asked to leave, as mere pawns in a chess game to be used at will without any proper decency and consideration.

A new CEO when appointed, wants to impress his employers but in so doing, he has forgotten the welfare of those told to leave a long and dedicated service behind and who would most likely find great difficulty in finding another job at a time when the economy is on the decline.

I understand that turning around an ailing entity that is so relevant for our national identity is a painful exercise. Nonetheless, when reducing staff strength, should not the airlines also show some human compassion for those left suddenly without any income while having a family of young children to support?

A CEO hailing from European and American environments, may want to use methods gained from his experiences there although these may not be suited in an Asian environment. Show some sympathy to the unfortunate ones whose severance package is no where near their Western counterparts where the latter is better protected.

With all due respect to this CEO, do not try to ‘skin’ the man at the bottom but focus at the top where the bleeding and rotting has been taking place all this while to give MAS this ugly image.

If the top management is firm, solid and capable, then those in the middle and bottom will definitely work their best to be productive and accountable.

Downsizing is one of the easiest austerity drives but not necessarily the most important and sometimes it serves like the popular idiom – pulling wool over one’s eyes.

In conclusion, I urge you to be more humane and sympathetic to the staff who have been asked to leave. Being unemployed is in itself traumatic enough, don’t make it worse by an indecent redundancy package.

Marion Tharsis is an FMT reader.