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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) has offered a voluntary separation plan (VSS) to employees while negotiations continue with creditors and lessors on Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAB) restructuring plans.
The MAG Early Retirement Request Form, which was seen by Bernama, is for general employees, including its subsidiaries MAB, MASwings, MAB Kargo, AeroDarat Services, Firefly, Hijrah Biru, and the MAB Academy.
The exercise is intended for Malaysia-based employees 45 years of age or older who have continuously served the company for a minimum of 10 years, including years of service with the Malaysia Airlines group.
Commenting on the move, the chairman of the National Union of Flight Attendants of Malaysia, Ismail Nasaruddin, said the decision was deemed “fair” in light of the extreme decision by other airlines to downsize all operations before offering any plans to separation or compensation.
He said the VSS offer had been made and it was now up to the employee whether or not to accept the offer.
“They (MAG) are not paying much; VSS offer is for three months salary only.
“If the result of this offer does not match the numbers you are seeing, then more drastic measures such as dismissal or downsizing can be implemented,” he told Bernama based on information from sources at MAG.
Ismail believes that the downsizing compensation will likely offer less than what has been offered in the VSS. He said that about 50% of MAG’s employees were eligible for the offer, including those transferred to the group during the previous corporate restructuring.
As for the MAB, it still has a workforce of 12,000 despite facing the challenges of the pandemic that caused the airline and the industry as a whole to suffer from weak demand.
