Hi folks, here's an update on the issue:
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SIA pilots edge closer to industrial action
By DOMINIC NATHAN and AHMAD OSMAN
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE Airlines pilots yesterday moved one step closer to taking industrial action for the first time in 22 years.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the Air Line Pilots Association Singapore or Alpa-S, they voted in favour of holding a separate secret ballot over a dispute with the airline's management about in-flight rest breaks.
It was one of three resolutions voted on yesterday by some 250 pilots, many of whom arrived at the Pinetree Town & Country Club in Stevens Road with proxy forms empowering them to vote for their colleagues.
Just over 1,000 votes were cast in favour of the two resolutions condemning SIA's decision on the seating issue and also its move to terminate the services of the two pilots at the controls of Flight SQ 006, which crashed in Taipei two years ago, killing 83 people.
The third and most controversial resolution called for a secret ballot on taking industrial action.
With this resolution carried by about 950 votes
the pilots will now have to wait at least three weeks before they can hold the secret ballot that will see SIA's 1,600 pilots imposing work-to-rule conditions.
This is not a strike, but involves, for example, refusing to attend
non-essential meetings on their days off.
Other actions include asking for minimum notice of changes to a pilot's roster or duties, a move which could affect the airline's flight operations.
But there is still a chance that industrial action can be averted if ongoing conciliation talks undertaken by the Manpower Ministry succeeds.
Even if that fails, there is another safeguard. The ministry can order both sides to go for compulsory arbitration.
The Industrial Arbitration Court will then determine the outcome of the dispute.
At the end of yesterday's marathon six-hour session, Alpa-S officials said that they would meet management and ministry officials today to continue conciliation efforts.
The pilots had started arriving from about 5.30 pm and the meeting started at 6 pm. Vote-counting ended just before midnight because there had to be a recount.
Yesterday's meeting was called because pilots are unhappy that SIA wants them to take their in-flight breaks in economy class instead of business class, which has been the practice for 13 years.
They view the new seating arrangement as a unilateral move by the national carrier's management to change the terms of the collective agreement negotiated between Alpa-S and the airline in 2001.
These terms, they argue, cannot be altered without both sides agreeing.
The clause in question reads: 'In the case of an 'augmented' or 'double' crew, horizontal rest facilities are provided for pilots to avail themselves of in-flight rest. Business class seat/s or some other similar rest facility shall also be provided for the additional pilot/s.'
If the pilots do go ahead with work-to-rule, it will be the first time since 1980 that SIA pilots have resorted to industrial action