DISHEARTENED over their retrenchment severance package, several former Malindo Air employees are now struggling to make ends meet as they try to secure new jobs.

They told The Malaysian Insight that they have been struck a double blow – getting retrenched and receiving the retrenchment benefits on an instalment basis.

Leman, who used to be a ground operations staff said compensation will be paid in instalments.

“I am not satisfied with the compensation as it is being paid in instalments,” the Perak native told The Malaysian Insight.

“Now I am jobless, how am I supposed to survive if the compensation is being paid in instalments?”

Leman, who is in his 40s, has been in the aviation industry for close to two decades. He joined Malindo Air two years ago and was among the 2,000 employees laid off last month.

He is now considering the option of filing a case with the Industrial Relations Department after the conditional movement-control order (CMCO) is lifted.

A 34-year-old aircraft maintenance engineer who spoke on condition of anonymity described the retrenchment exercise as inhumane.

The father of two, who has been with the company since its inception, said staff learnt of the impending downsizing through media reports and a few days later, they were served with a memo.

The retrenchment was done at a short notice and the compensation didn’t match, especially for long-service staff who have been with the company since day one, he said.

“They didn’t take into account the years of service. Some got one, three or six months’ salary as compensation.”

He added that the higher the salaries, the bigger one’s commitments are.

“The company was okay before the pandemic. It all started with voluntary unpaid leave after Covid-19 broke.

“For those of us who were with the company since day one, we wanted to do our part to help it stay afloat, hence we compromised by taking unpaid leave.”

He is currently under financial stress, as it is not easy to find a new job.

“It is not easy to find a job, especially if you’re from the aviation background because of the salary and our certificates are linked to managing an aircraft.”

He also emphasised on the need for aircraft engineers to be represented by unions.

A 27-year-old former flight attendant, who refused to be named, said she had to move out of her rented house after being laid off.

“I am currently looking for a job. For the time being, I have to move back in with my parents. Maybe it is time for me to look at a different line of work.”

Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan told the Dewan Rakyat recently that the Industrial Relations Department has received 31 claims for reinstatement from former staff of the airline.

Of this number, 24 cases were resolved amicably while the remaining seven are still under the negotiation process.

Saravanan said the department expects more cases to be filed in the next 60 days.

The Malaysian Insight previously reported that a three-month salary package was among the severance for some 2,000 Malindo employees whose service came to an end on October 31.

The company’s retrenchment policy and guidelines sighted by The Malaysian Insight state that the retrenchment package will be paid out in instalments.

“Staff who will receive total gross retrenchment severance amount of RM15,000 and below, the payment will be made in three instalments. The first instalment payment will be on November 30.

“Staff who will receive total gross retrenchment severance amount of RM15,001 and above, the payment will be made in six instalments, with the first payment on November 30,” it said.

Employees are chosen on a last-in-first-out basis.

Those with a basic salary of RM2,000 and below, with years of service of more than one year and below two years, are entitled to three months’ salary, termination layoff benefits (TLOB) as well as the balance pro-rated annual leave.

Those with a basic salary of RM2,000 and below, and have served more than two years and below five years, will get a month’s basic salary, TLOB and balance pro-rated annual leaves.

Those with a salary of above RM2,001 and have completed a year’s service will be entitled to a month’s basic salary.

Staff who served the company for four years and earned above RM2,001 will be given three months’ basic salary.

Chief executive officer Capt Mushafiz Mustafa Bakri said in an internal memo that the airline is only making 10% of its pre-pandemic monthly revenue while its fleet has been halved. – November 29, 2020.