Dow Jones
25 February 2004
Singapore Airlines Ltd. troubled labour-management relations received another public airing Tuesday when the government released feedback reflecting poor staff morale, the Straits Times reported Wednesday.
The feedback showed that SIA’s pilots, who have been in the news over their unhappiness with management, aren’t the only ones with grievances.
A collection of views by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) from three of its four affiliated SIA unions last month revealed complaints of low morale and a changed atmosphere in recent years. Where a family spirit once prevailed, the key word now was “accountability” and a “culture of fear” had spread, they said, according to the newspaper.
Workers feared making mistakes and were often threatened with layoffs, the key leaders of the SIA Staff Union, Singapore Airport Terminal Services Workers’ Union, and SIA Engineering Company Engineers and Executives Union told NTUC, the newspaper said.