Lee
25th Nov 2003, 20:09
From the same person, the Acting Manpower Minister issuing a second warning to SIA Pilots:
Pilots warned: Stop, think and be careful
Ng Eng Hen warns them that adversarial approach threatens Singapore's
role as air hub and tripartite labour relationship
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,221643-
1069711140,00.html?
By Natalie Soh and Goh Chin Lian
IN HIS second and strongest warning yet to Singapore Airlines pilots,
Acting Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday told them to 'stop,
think and be careful' about being confrontational and self-serving.
He will not allow them to risk the jobs of thousands of others by
jeopardising Singapore's efforts in maintaining its role as an air
hub.
'If we lose our competitive advantage, thousands will be out of work
and a lot of them will not have the ability to be as mobile as the
pilots.'
More important, the pilots' adversarial approach threatens to
undermine the tripartite relationship between Government, employers
and unions that has taken years to build.
This is something the Government will not sit still for, he warned:
'I am sounding a cautionary note: Please stop. Please take some time,
think of what you are doing and be careful...I won't allow you to
destroy the tripartite relationship.'
How will the Government respond if the pilots continue on this path?
'We will see what we can do,' he replied to the question from The
Straits Times yesterday at a community event in Toa Payoh.
He was elaborating on his comments made last Friday, when he told
reporters the Manpower Ministry was 'watching closely' the
developments at the Air Line Pilots Association of Singapore (Alpa-S).
Disgruntled union members, who accused their leaders of giving in too
easily to management in accepting wage cuts and no-pay leave, voted
them out last Monday.
By taking this action, the pilots have disregarded the context in
which the original deal was struck, noted Dr Ng.
He explained that in tackling the Sars threat earlier in the year,
management and unions in many sectors made sacrifices.
For the pilots to turn around, after the airline made a $306-million
profit in the second quarter, and say the union was too soft,
is 'self-serving'.
This is especially so given Alpa-S members agreed to the terms of the
deal and there is a profit-sharing formula in place if the company's
fortunes turn around.
'They are not looking at the bigger picture, and have not understood
that we have national imperatives,' said Dr Ng, referring to huge
amount of resources poured into maintaining Singapore's position as
an air hub.
Other unions in similar crises understand there is give-and-take in
labour negotiations, he said, citing PSA Corporation, which axed 496
workers in a major restructure.
The PSA unions could have taken the same confrontational stance, but
they chose not to for the greater good.
As to why Alpa-S chose a different path, Dr Ng surmised: 'It must
mean the general membership is saying 'the next time we elect a new
ex-co, we want people who are not-so-soft and drive a very, very hard
bargain'.
'The signals are very clear: You have chosen the trajectory that is
confrontational.'
In the face of such a threat, the tripartite relationship must be
preserved as Singapore's labour relations cannot allow the disruptive
practices of one union to trigger similar action in others, he said.
'One union can disrupt the type of relationship we have spent years
in building...So the pilots union must learn not to be the odd one
out. Look at the history, they have always chosen a more aggressive
tone. And the general membership has said indeed this is what they
want.'
When asked about Dr Ng's comments, Captain P. James, former Alpa-S
vice-president for industrial affairs, disagreed the pilots are self-
serving or confrontational.
For him, the issue is one of low morale in SIA, a problem that has
also resulted in pilots leaving for other airlines.
'If things are okay now, why continue with the wage cuts? Why not
hold them for one quarter and see? The bottom line is that in the
service sector, you can't afford to have people with low morale.'
For the situation to improve, management also has to budge, he
said. 'We have families to feed. We don't want to kill the goose that
lays the golden eggs, but the goose also has to take care of its
goslings.'
Sorry, for the repeat post, if some of you have read this from sq111's posting.
I didn't read sq111's posting (in another thread) before posting this article.
Sorry, for the inconvenience caused to those who have read this article before.
Pilots warned: Stop, think and be careful
Ng Eng Hen warns them that adversarial approach threatens Singapore's
role as air hub and tripartite labour relationship
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,221643-
1069711140,00.html?
By Natalie Soh and Goh Chin Lian
IN HIS second and strongest warning yet to Singapore Airlines pilots,
Acting Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday told them to 'stop,
think and be careful' about being confrontational and self-serving.
He will not allow them to risk the jobs of thousands of others by
jeopardising Singapore's efforts in maintaining its role as an air
hub.
'If we lose our competitive advantage, thousands will be out of work
and a lot of them will not have the ability to be as mobile as the
pilots.'
More important, the pilots' adversarial approach threatens to
undermine the tripartite relationship between Government, employers
and unions that has taken years to build.
This is something the Government will not sit still for, he warned:
'I am sounding a cautionary note: Please stop. Please take some time,
think of what you are doing and be careful...I won't allow you to
destroy the tripartite relationship.'
How will the Government respond if the pilots continue on this path?
'We will see what we can do,' he replied to the question from The
Straits Times yesterday at a community event in Toa Payoh.
He was elaborating on his comments made last Friday, when he told
reporters the Manpower Ministry was 'watching closely' the
developments at the Air Line Pilots Association of Singapore (Alpa-S).
Disgruntled union members, who accused their leaders of giving in too
easily to management in accepting wage cuts and no-pay leave, voted
them out last Monday.
By taking this action, the pilots have disregarded the context in
which the original deal was struck, noted Dr Ng.
He explained that in tackling the Sars threat earlier in the year,
management and unions in many sectors made sacrifices.
For the pilots to turn around, after the airline made a $306-million
profit in the second quarter, and say the union was too soft,
is 'self-serving'.
This is especially so given Alpa-S members agreed to the terms of the
deal and there is a profit-sharing formula in place if the company's
fortunes turn around.
'They are not looking at the bigger picture, and have not understood
that we have national imperatives,' said Dr Ng, referring to huge
amount of resources poured into maintaining Singapore's position as
an air hub.
Other unions in similar crises understand there is give-and-take in
labour negotiations, he said, citing PSA Corporation, which axed 496
workers in a major restructure.
The PSA unions could have taken the same confrontational stance, but
they chose not to for the greater good.
As to why Alpa-S chose a different path, Dr Ng surmised: 'It must
mean the general membership is saying 'the next time we elect a new
ex-co, we want people who are not-so-soft and drive a very, very hard
bargain'.
'The signals are very clear: You have chosen the trajectory that is
confrontational.'
In the face of such a threat, the tripartite relationship must be
preserved as Singapore's labour relations cannot allow the disruptive
practices of one union to trigger similar action in others, he said.
'One union can disrupt the type of relationship we have spent years
in building...So the pilots union must learn not to be the odd one
out. Look at the history, they have always chosen a more aggressive
tone. And the general membership has said indeed this is what they
want.'
When asked about Dr Ng's comments, Captain P. James, former Alpa-S
vice-president for industrial affairs, disagreed the pilots are self-
serving or confrontational.
For him, the issue is one of low morale in SIA, a problem that has
also resulted in pilots leaving for other airlines.
'If things are okay now, why continue with the wage cuts? Why not
hold them for one quarter and see? The bottom line is that in the
service sector, you can't afford to have people with low morale.'
For the situation to improve, management also has to budge, he
said. 'We have families to feed. We don't want to kill the goose that
lays the golden eggs, but the goose also has to take care of its
goslings.'
Sorry, for the repeat post, if some of you have read this from sq111's posting.
I didn't read sq111's posting (in another thread) before posting this article.
Sorry, for the inconvenience caused to those who have read this article before.