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PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) says airlines should pay cabin crew double the daily wages for working on public holidays, reported Malaysiakini.
“Staff who have no choice but to work on these days to meet safety requirements on the number of crew for each flight must be compensated,” said Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin today.
Ismail said cabin crew members sacrificed quality time with their family when they worked on public holidays.
“Being paid double on public holidays will help ease the workers’ burden and help them deal with the rising cost of living,” he said in a statement.
He said many saw the work of the cabin crew as simple and glamorous, not realising that their work was mentally and physically stressful as well as required a high degree of patience.
Ismail said local airlines still refused to compensate their employees for working on public holidays, adding that this was doubly unfortunate for local crew members who were already earning significantly much less than their overseas peers.
He said Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific cabin crew members earned up to RM15,000 a month while local airlines only paid their cabin crew about RM5,000 a month. He also added that the salary scheme for cabin crew members had not changed in 20 years.
“I hope airlines will provide insurance coverage worth at least RM150,000 per cabin crew member, given the risky nature of the job,” he said.
Ismail also urged the government to review all aspects of occupational safety for cabin crew members and ensure that labour laws were strictly enforced in the industry.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/…/nufam-wants-airlines-to…/
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