By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 9/8/2011
Malaysia Airlines workers oppose AirAsia alliance
Thousands of Malaysia Airlines workers Thursday said they oppose a planned merger with AirAsia as the move will only benefit the profit-making budget carrier.
"What we saw from the collaboration is that it will benefit AirAsia and also there is a rumour that a new airline company will be set up from the collaboration," Alias Aziz, president of the Malaysia Airlines Employees Union, was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.
Bernama quoted union representatives saying the deal would not benefit loss-making Malaysia Airlines and was an attempt to weaken the workers collective power.
"We do not agree with the collaboration," Alias said.
Last month fast-growing budget flyer AirAsia agreed to acquire 20.5 percent of Malaysia Airlines under a strategic tie-up aimed at turning around the national carrier.
The deal gives Malaysia-based AirAsia's CEO Tony Fernandes -- who took over the no-frills carrier a decade ago and made it one of the industry's biggest success stories -- a key voice in salvaging his struggling rival's fortunes.
Under the deal, Malaysia's state investment arm Khazanah Nasional, which held nearly 70 percent of the national carrier before the deal, will get a 10 percent stake in Tune Air, AirAsia's parent company.
Since taking office in 2009, Prime Minister Najib Razak has embarked on an ambitious programme to overhaul the economy and public sector, including selling off stakes in troubled state-owned companies like Malaysian Airlines.