MAS: Fools and Bloody Fools

The infamous former Federal Territory UMNO kingpin, the late Datuk Azman Attar had memorable quote: “If you have power make sure you are powerful, otherwise you are bloody fool.”

Looking at the situation in MAS post MAS-Air Asia collaboration, that quote is apt to described the Khazanah controlled and effectively Danny Yusof-led management, and President Alias Aziz-led MAS Employees’ Union (MASEU).

The management have the power and is applying power but not to revive the already accepted and reknown service credible brand of MAS. But instead, the shareholder and management are blindly applying power only to force the wrongful measures that is widely viewed and agreed as cannibalisation of MAS in favour of Air Asia and to destroy MAS in the shortest of time.

Subsequently, they will foolishly be saddled with a bigger problem of Air Asia that can bring down the regional market in the magnitude the Pan El crisis did in the mid-80s to the stock markets of Malaysia and Singapore.

Aren't they really bodoh or fools?

The staff union, MASEU have the power and influence to stop this, but they are either pussycat scared to apply the power within their disposal or perhaps to bodoh to apply it. In the words of Azman Attar, they fit the description bloody fools!

At the initial stage of the MAS-Air Asia collaboration proposal in October, MASEU had threatened to strike if the collaboration were to proceed. If they had done so, it would have taken the management a back and their views would be seriously consulted upon.

As a union representing the lower-end employee, MASEU is affiliated with ITF and it has the power to discipline the management that have been bulldozing their business plan through lies, deceit and rampant conflict of interest.

MASEU could have used their muscle. Read this news below:

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Malaysian airline deal could see workers’ rights eroded warns ITF

International Transport Wokers Union website
Wednesday, 26 October 2011

The ITF has urged the Malaysian government to ensure that workers’ rights are preserved in any future collaboration between Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) and low cost carrier Air Asia. It has been reported that an agreement between the two airlines was reached without union consultation.

In a letter, dated 19 October, to Malaysian prime minister Yab Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, ITF general secretary David Cockroft outlined concerns that a share swap and collaboration between MAS and Air Asia could lead to the erosion of workers’ rights. This could include the right of ITF affiliate Malaysia Airlines System Employees’ Union (MASEU) to represent and collectively bargain on behalf of MAS workers.

The MASEU, he said, was willing to work with management to help the national carrier maintain its international reputation, increase its profitability and build up its market share. However, the lack of consultation with the union, the well-known anti-union reputation of Air Asia and the planned deployment of thousands of staff to new entities as part of a restructuring exercise had created grave concern among the workforce.

Cockroft said: “The ITF and its affiliates are calling on the government of Malaysia and the management of MAS to work with MASEU and other independent unions, and to act transparently and in good faith in implementing any changes within the airline.

MASEU is open to change but insists on the need to protect workers’ terms and conditions, and maintains the union’s right to continue to represent and bargain for all MAS workers, however the management decides to reconfigure operations within the airline.

MASEU has the full support of the ITF and its affiliates, who are clear that legal devices should not be used to remove or dilute the union’s representation rights in the course of this process.

Without these safeguards, the union would be strongly opposed to any further collaboration with Air Asia.”

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The impact of a MAS worker strike would be a global boycott imposed on MAS at every airport and stops by affiliates of ITF.

In the early stage, Alias was making press statement expressing concern with the viability of the plan. Alias rose to raise points on the failure of Binafikir's WAU plan at the first townhall meeting where two voices rose to ask for an Airliner led management.

Suddenly Alias turned quiet. Word circulating amongst MAS staff and former MAS officials is that Alias is on the take. He can be easily silenced and it is open secret that he has a cabin cleaning contract with MAS.

But why did the members of the union kept quiet when he was posted to Kota Baru, thus running the union from Kota Baru and being out of the loop of happenings in the head office?

This blog had mentioned before of the unions unsuccessful attempt to meet Prime Minister, Dato Najib Tun Abdul Razak. Apart from the probability of Air Asia-X Director, Omar Ong Rasputin blocking from inside, the stumbling bloack was that the various unions in MAS are not a united voice to enable Najib to broker an agreement.

One problem with the unions was that they are not united. Realiable sources claimed the union representing the Managers are only interested to save their own arse by bodeking the new management to lend them support despite knowing Danny Yusof's turnaround plan fall short of being amateurish work and is doomed to fail again.

Every global corporate player knows Airlines are lousy buy. Too many unions, too many regulations. But the MAS unions are not making their presence to thwart plans by the corporate sharks brought in by shareholder Khazanah.

How bloody fool of them to only realise now when the situation have worsened for them to make noise?

Perhaps the union people only realised that management are retrenching staff without paying compensation using underhanded tactic such as moving the whole MAS headquarter to Sepang and in the pipeline using CIMB style to set KPI which not fulfillable by most staff. There are rampant cases of Managers nit picking on staff for 5 minutes train delay.

MASEU made a desperate press statement on December 19 and it was reported by Utusan Malaysia. These days issues against Air Asia will face problems getting press coverage from the major the English and Business newspapers for fear of being denied MAS and Air Asia advertisements.

The Utusan report below:

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Masue minta campur tangan kerajaan

Utusan Malaysia
Disember 19, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR 18 Dis. - Kesatuan Pekerja-pekerja Sistem Penerbangan MAS (Maseu) mahu kerajaan campur tangan dalam pelan pemulihan syarikat penerbangan itu, sekiranya pelan tersebut membabitkan pembuangan pekerja.

Pengerusinya, Alias Aziz berkata, berdasarkan taklimat mengenai pelan itu, nasib kakitangan Malaysian Airline System Bhd. (MAS) terutama anak-anak kapal masih samar.

Melalui taklimat yang diberikan oleh Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) MAS itu membayangkan kemungkinan berlaku pembuangan kakitangan syarikat penerbangan itu, katanya.

''Jelas apa yang sedang dilakukan oleh barisan pengurusan MAS ini bertentangan dengan jaminan yang telah diberikan oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak," katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini.

Alias mendakwa dalam pertemuan singkat dengan Najib pada jamuan buka puasa lalu, Perdana Menteri telah memberi jaminan tiada pembuangan kerja di kalangan kakitangan MAS dalam usaha memulihkan syarikat penerbangan kebangsaan itu.

Beliau berkata, Pelan Pemulihan MAS yang baharu itu tidak mendapat reaksi positif di kalangan kakitangan kerana ia mengelirukan kakitangan.

''Ahmad Jauhari memberitahu mana-mana kakitangan akan dipindahkan ke syarikat-syarikat MAS yang akan dijadikan anak syarikatnya seperti MAS Kargo, penyenggaraan, pembaikan dan baik pulih (MRO).

''Kalau macam itu adakah kakitangan sedia ada perlu berhenti kerja terlebih dahulu, sebelum diagih-agihkan kepada anak-anak syarikat tersebut?," ujar beliau.

Tambahnya, tindakan MAS menjadikan MAS Kargo dan MRO sebagai anak syarikat juga menimbulkan banyak persoalan.

Alias mempersoalkan mengapa setiap kali berlaku perubahan pengurusan, aset-aset MAS dipertaruhkan.

''Dulu Akademi MAS dan bangunan MAS di Jalan Sultan Ismail.

''Sekarang, MRO dan MAS Kargo pula. Tidakkah ada jalan terbaik yang boleh mereka lakukan selain menjual aset-aset yang ada?," tegas beliau.

Dalam pada itu, Alias berkata, Maseu juga kurang senang dengan pembabitan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif AirAsia Bhd., Tan Sri Tony Fernandes dalam operasi MAS secara tidak langsung.

''Kenapa pengurusan MAS membawa Fernandes berjumpa dengan kakitangan MAS. Bukankah beliau berperanan dalam Lembaga Pengarah sahaja?

''Kami tidak suka dan kami akan terus membantah urus niaga pertukaran saham antara MAS-AirAsia," tegasnya.

Malah, Alias mahu MAS menjawab mengapa syarikat penerbangan itu memasukkan penerbangan AirAsia dalam sistem tiketnya.

''Kami mahu MAS menjelaskan perkara-perkara yang Maseu menyifatkannya ia begitu mengejutkan," ujar beliau.

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Recently, they have been more forceful and divulging, or perhaps, more desperate in lieu of the heightened implementation of butchering program by management, in their press statement as in this The Sun report on December 28th, 2011.

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No to MAS downsizing

The Sun
29 December 2011

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) unionised staff are unhappy over a potential plan by its management to downsize the workforce as part of the struggling national carrier’s turnaround plans.

MAS Employees’ Union (Maseu) president Alias Aziz told SunBiz that MAS management had indicated its intention to reduce its workforce during a Dec 16 meeting chaired by MAS group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and his deputy Mohammed Rashdan Mohd Yusof, which was attended by representatives of Maseu, Malaysia Airlines Pilots’ Association, Airline Workers Union of Sarawak, Air Transport Workers Union of Sabah and MAS Executive Staff Association.

“However, the management did not say how many employees will be affected, although it was told that only 3,000 staff were needed for the airline’s short haul operations which include Firefly and the new yet-to-be-named regional premium carrier (that will be launched by mid-2012),” said Alias on Wednesday.

MAS also wants its employees to first resign from the airline if they opt to join the new regional airline.

Right now, MAS has about 20,000 workers.

theSun had reported on Dec 16, quoting sources, that about half of MAS’s total workforce will be affected by the airline’s business plan, which involves cutting money-losing routes, deploying new aircraft, managing costs and spinning off ancillary businesses.

“We (union members) are not happy with the latest business plan for MAS. We are concern about the impact of cuts on MAS’s unprofitable routes, closing of some stations overseas and spinning off its subsidiaries which may inevitably lead to staff cuts.

“This is not the way to turnaround MAS,” said Alias.

“This (possible job cuts) also goes against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who had in a meeting with me (as Maseu president) in September gave an assurance that there would be no job cuts nor voluntary separation schemes (VSS) to follow the latest reshuffle at the airline,” he added.

Alias said the union members also disagree with the MAS-AirAsia share swap as they see AirAsia benefiting more from the deal, not MAS.

When contacted on Wednesday, a MAS spokesman said any move to redeploy or cut its workforce is “still a work in progress and we will make announcements when details are finalised”.

“These are still in planning stages. We are now engaging staff through a series of meetings for them to understand our plans and hear their feedback and questions.

“We will engage all stakeholders including the media at the right time when we have the detailed information,” he said.

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Alas Alias, it may be too late. He should be blamed for being a bloody fool.

Simply, after Alias cancelled plans for a strike, his public statements turned meek and issues raised were watered down issue. Below is an example:

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'MAS-AirAsia deal not against anti-trust laws'

Business Times
2011/11/02

AirAsia X Bhd chairman, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, said the tie-up between MAS and AirAsia Bhd will not result in monopolistic practices between the two carriers following their share-swap
exercise.

She also said the share-swap would not result in any behaviour that would violate anti-trust laws.

"We (AirAsia and MAS) are guided by strict anti-trust laws overseas and in Malaysia when the competition laws come into force next year.

"We'll never be able to do anything that violates any anti-trust laws," she told a media briefing on the Malaysia-Europe Forum's Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Malaysian Competition Commission is currently reviewing the possible impact of the MAS-AirAsia collaboration on the local market, and would advise both airlines on all possible areas.

She said the collaboration may result in cost-cutting for both airlines and it would be beneficial for passengers and customers as they could give better services.

Rafidah said the MAS management must continuously hold dialogues with all levels of its workforce through its unions.

"This is to explain in detail what’s happening and what’s going to happen, particularly to the employees, and the areas of cost-saving which will translate into benefits," she said.

The Malaysian Airlines System Employees Union (MASEU) has expressed dissatisfaction over the explanation given by the management on the collaboration.

MASEU had decided to write to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and wanted to meet him to convey their views and opposition to the collaboration.

It was also reported recently that the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has urged the Malaysian government to ensure that workers’ rights were preserved in any future collaboration between the two airlines.

The report said an agreement between the two airlines was reached without union consultation.

In a letter dated October 19 to Najib, ITF general-secretary, David Cockroft, outlined concerns that a share-swap and collaboration between MAS and Air Asia could lead to the erosion of workers’ rights.

This could include the right of ITF affiliate MASEU to represent and collectively bargain on behalf of MAS workers. -- Bernama

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Who cares about anti-trust laws? This is a clear case of Tan Sri Rafidah trying to make Air Asia and the collaboration look union friendly. MASEU allowed them have a field day.

From the beginning, MASEU knew that the collaboration will not work and it will not favour MAS and employees. They also knew that the management has no idea of how to turnarund MAS and is merely out to chop chop the company.

WTF are they not asserting themselves? Why should they allow diversion of issue into issues like anti-trust laws? Who gives a Mother's damn?

Let's deal with the long list of foolish work by the fools calling themselves management in another posting.

Answer first, why are the unions and staff are not coming out and be more forceful to protect the company and employees from the corporate sharp devouring the company? Instead, most of the staff are selfishly only interested to save their own skin by leaving the company before others flood the job market.

Bloody fools!