Ministry and Malindo mangement discuss fate of retrenched staff

The Ministry of Human Resources (MoHR) through the Labour Department together with the management of Malindo Air held talks to discuss on the  fate of the retrenchment of the airline’s employees.

According to Human Resources Minister M Saravanan, the meeting, which also involved the Industrial Relations Department and the Social Security Organisation (Socso), discuss issues related to compliance with labour laws and measures to assist the affected employees.

In the meantime, Malindo Air workers who were laid off could seek Employment Allowance (EMP) assistance for up to six months under the Employment Insurance System (SIP) to ease their burden, the minister said.

“Payment of allowances will be made for between 30% and 80% of their last drawn salary under a RM4,000 salary limit,” he replied to the question by P Kasthuriraani (Pakatan Harapan-Batu Kawan) on the ministry’s assistance and plans to help Malindo Air staff whose service was immediately terminated following the airline’s retrenchment exercise.

The minister also said the affected workers were also eligible for other benefits such as the early re-employment allowance, reduced income allowance, training allowance, training fee and job search allowance.

The retrenched workers could also register with the MYFutureJobs portal, an employment portal that helps them secure jobs or undergo skills training in various fields under the Gerak Insan Gemilang (GIG) programme to help them generate temporary income and stay afloat while looking for new permanent jobs.

The ministry through its agency, the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), offered various initiatives under the HRDF Penjana that could assist the workers involved in the retrenchment exercise. Under the Place and Train initiative, Malindo Air employees can be retrained to fill relevant vacancies in the hospitality industry.

Meanwhile, Malindo Air staff who felt the service termination was unfair and without reasonable cause could file a representation to the Director-General of Industrial Relations within 60 days from the date of their termination under Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act 1967 (Act 177) which would allow them to be reinstated to their former employment with Malindo Air, Saravanan said.

Of the total 31 cases lodged by the affected Malindo Air employees,  24 cases had been resolved through negotiations with seven cases still pending, he said, adding that the department was expecting more cases filed by the workers as the 60-day time limit set under the act has not expired.