When workers and trade unions are not allowed to criticize their employers, it is very wrong. Are they expected to only PRAISE bad employers and be silent about all their employers' wrongdoings?
Of course, in any worker struggle for justice, it would be inevitable that they would be seen to be criticizing their employer .... In this case, as reported, these 'criticisms' were in a closed FB group - of, course workers can and should be always able to criticize their employers, highlight the injustices, ....more so in a closed forum.
The right to publicly picket is a recognized right ....so how can criticizing an employer be even considered a misconduct that is actionable...The UNION president was suspended and terminated for a statement he made in his capacity as the UNION president - but action was taken allegedly against him because as an employee he criticized MAS? or its Officer/s? - he was suspended, and terminated (a few weeks later) even without a Domestic Inquiry...and MAS, is a government linked company and Malaysia's National Carrier..It is good news that MAS has revoked the suspension of 9 out of 10 who were suspended for criticizing MAS in a closed FB forum - now revoke the suspension of the remaining 1, and immediately reinstate the President of NUFAM....
See earlier posts:-
Malaysian Airlines terminated the President of National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (NUFAM), and now suspends 7 others
ITUC makes it 43 groups calling on MAS to revoke suspension on Union president -
43 Groups Joint Statement (3/12/2013) - MAS Must
Immediately Revoke Suspension of Union President Ismail Nasaruddin - Worker Right
Issue Should Be Resolved By Negotiations Not ‘Union Busting’
Now, this National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia
(NUFAM), after being registered, sought recognition from MAS but MAS refused - hence there was a need for a 'secret ballot' to be conducted and the qualified employees voted in favour of NUFAM and it got recognition - but MAS shamefully is now allegedly challenging the recognition of NUFAM in court
MAS files judicial review on Nufam’s secret ballot
By Zatil Husna Wan Fauzi of theedgemalaysia.com | Business | The Edge Malaysia – Wed, Oct 16, 2013
Crew suspended for criticising MAS reinstated
Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) have reinstated nine of the 10 cabin crew who were suspended for allegedly criticising the airline in a closed National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) Facebook forum.
Nufam spokesperson Mahmood Abdullah said that three were released from suspension a fortnight ago while six more were released from suspension yesterday.
“The crew members got calls from the MAS human resources department to take their (warning) letters except for one (female flight attendant) who remains suspended.
“We should know the verdict for (the flight attendant) soon,” he said in an email to Malaysiakini.
Mahmood said that the crew who were released from suspension were warned “not to do it (criticise the company on Facebook) again”.
In an earlier statement, Nufam, which was formed in January 2012, slammed MAS for using “aggressive tactics to scare Nufam members” against joining an upcoming picket planned for next week.
“MAS appears to wage war against our union members and we will not hesitate to call for industrial action if MAS prevails this form of threats and tactics against our members,” it said.
It added that MAS is “continuing to bully the union members over their (MAS) own failures to resolves workers' problems”, following the sacking of Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin.
Ismail, a chief steward, was sacked after calling for MAS chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya's (left) resignation, in a news article where he lamented the relatively poor working conditions of MAS cabin crew.
In response, MAS denied engaging in union busting and said that it has the right to take discplinary action against employees in accordance to what is stated or implied in the employment contract.
It added that all its collective bargaining, including for cabin crew, is done through the Malaysia Airlines Systems Employee's Union (Maseu) and not through Nufam.
On Jan 4, Nufam conducted a petition drive among MAS cabin crew to reinstate Ismail, but petitioners collecting signatures at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport were ousted by airport authorities. - Malaysiakini, 14/1/2013, Crew suspended for criticising MAS reinstated
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