GEORGE TOWN – A veteran hotelier has called on the federal government to help the hospitality industry cope with the new normal.
This follows the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the industry devastated by massive financial losses and labour shortages.
Since almost all hotels which have reopened are facing difficulty hiring new employees, Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Khoo Boo Lim said that the Human Resources Ministry needs to adopt new policies to assist them.
“We cannot expect things to be the old normal. We are living in the new era where lurking behind is the Covid-19 virus, waiting to pounce if we let our guard down.”
There should be widespread recognition that many local workers are shunning the industry now due to their previously poor pay packages and the decision by owners to lay off many workers during the height of the pandemic, he said.
The National Union of Hotels, Bars and Restaurant Workers Peninsular Malaysia secretary-general Rusli Affandi estimates that more than 100,000 hoteliers have lost their jobs.
“Such workers have since taken up digitalised jobs such as ride sharing or became entrepreneurs, while some joined factories whose products are now important in the restarting of the global economy,” Khoo told The Vibes here.
He urged the ministry to allow hotels to hire foreigners for backroom tasks such as housekeeping and kitchen duties, while also engaging the schools of hotel management studies to allow all their students to work part-time at hotels.
There is a need to embrace digitalisation to off-set certain tasks.
“A few hotels have installed automated check-in facilities at their receptions to ease the check-in process.”
He said that hotel owners also need to find ways to raise wage levels to dispel the notion that such jobs in the hotel industry were undignified.
It is learnt that many hotels continue to operate below capacity due to the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) and their inability to hire workers.
This meant they would find it difficult to meet revenue targets.
Obviously, their kitchens cannot serve as many diners as before, so food promotions are not considered.
Room inventories are also not fully sold because there are not enough personnel to clean the facilities.
Khoo reminded hotel guests that the SOPs meant that the hoteliers have more work to do in terms of sanitisation, food safety and security while also ensuring that guests are fully masked and physical distancing is observed. – The Vibes, November 21, 2021
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