KUALA LUMPUR – The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) is urging the government to consider absorbing retrenched airline workers as frontliners in the Health Ministry to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
Its president, Ismail Nasaruddin, said although Budget 2021, which was approved at the policy level yesterday, has allocated RM50 million to provide training and placements for 8,000 employees of airline companies in Malaysia, it is still not enough to ensure their survival.
He said the most important thing is to ensure they can secure jobs and get a stable monthly income.
“If they undergo the training programme, they may be paid an allowance of RM10 or RM20 a day; that is not enough, especially for those who have lost their income.
“Perhaps the government can review the matter, or absorb airline workers as frontliners at the Health Ministry, as most of them have been trained to provide first aid,” he said.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan had recently said that a total of 95,995 workers who contribute to the Employment Insurance System have been laid off as of November 13.
Of the total, he said 40,766 were in the aviation, hotel and tourism sectors.
Meanwhile, former flight attendant Mohd Hanif Salim, 28, who has been jobless since last June, said many of his friends who suffered the same fate as him have now ventured into business and the insurance industry.
Although the government’s plan to provide training and courses for those who have lost their jobs is a good initiative, he said it is not a guarantee they will find employment.
“We need to find a job for survival. For now, we will do whatever we can to survive,” said Hanif, who is now helping his brother run a business selling cooking gas cylincers in Kuantan. – Bernama, November 26, 2020
