| Agence
France Presse November 30, 2003 Singapore THE Singapore government will amend the Trade Unions Act in a bid to rein in unionised Singapore Airlines (SIA) pilots who have been warned in recent weeks against disrupting the city-state's industrial harmony, local media reported Sunday, Nov 30. The proposed amendment, likely to take several months, is to "prevent another cycle of acrimony between management and the pilots' union," television broadcaster Channel NewsAsia said on its website, citing a government statement. A key thrust of the proposed amendment is to allow trade unions' executive committees to negotiate and commit to collective agreements without the need to go back to their members for approval. The Air Line Pilots' Association of Singapore (ALPA-S), which has been described as "self-serving" and "confrontational" by Acting Manpower Minister Ng Eng Hen, is the only trade union here whose members have the right to approve agreements reached by its executive commitee. ALPA-S members voted this month to sack its entire leadership over controversial wage cuts imposed by Singapore Airlines (SIA) due to the impact of the SARS health crisis, provoking a strong reaction from the government. The pilots said their union leaders had given in too easily to the wage cuts. Their dissatisfaction intensified after the airline announced a S$306 million (US$178 million) net profit for the September quarter and said this month it had begun hiring again. Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking to the local media on Friday in New Zealand during an official visit, warned unionised SIA pilots not to challenge the government. The pilots and their union leaders "have to think very carefully, do they really want to take on the government?" the Straits Times quoted Lee as saying. Lee and other ministers have said a move by the pilots could have national ramifications, possibly encouraging confrontations by other unions and disrupt the city-state's strike-free environment which is a key attraction for foreign companies to base here. Industrial harmony here is attributed to a smooth tripartite relationship in which the government, employers and unions cooperate closely. Under this arrangement, unions rarely openly challenge the government and industrial action is very rare. |
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