GEORGE TOWN – Priority should be given to the rehiring of laid-off workers once hotel owners decide to resume operations.
The National Union of Hotel, Bar and Restaurant Workers Peninsular Malaysia made this call after several hotels have reopened despite initially closing due to the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Its secretary-general, Rusli Affandi, told The Vibes that during final negotiations with the owners, it was impressed upon them to give priority to workers they have retrenched instead of hiring new labour.
“We are disappointed to find that some hotels have hired younger employees after letting go of their senior ones or pioneers. There should be reward for loyalty and dedication in workplaces.”
Rusli confirmed that the iconic Equatorial Hotel Penang has notified the union of its decision to shut down operations after some 30 years in business.
He said it is common knowledge that hoteliers have suffered the worst from the pandemic and its ensuing movement control orders, as well as the new normal measures.
Some 10,000 unionised hotel workers have been retrenched since March last year, with close to 100 registered hotels either closing temporarily or permanently.
The Equatorial in Bukit Jambul houses 662 rooms and has notably the largest ballroom, with around 300 workers.
“We are in an occupation where a 25-year-old is considered old. Owners prefer to hire those who are younger. So, the turnover rate is among the highest in the country’s labour-intensive industries,” Rusli said.
He said all workers have basic rights, which business owners must respect.
“For example, they must reward those who are loyal and have had a long service, especially in a property like Equatorial.”
Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor was reported as saying that 30,000 hotel-related employees have been told to take unpaid leave, and that more than 6,000 had their pay cut, while 10,000 were retrenched.
The impending closure of the Equatorial has caught many elected representatives by surprise, with Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin extending his sympathies to the staffers.
He said he hoped that alternatives could be explored instead of closing down the property. – The Vibes, January 26, 2021
