| GLOBAL VIEW |
Singapore Government Clips Pilot Union's Wings
Air Line Pilot, February 2004, p.34
| This
decision shows what can happen when the balance of power tips too far
toward governmental control of unions. In one fell swoop, the Singapore
government has stripped the pilots of their voice. —Capt. Duane Woerth, ALPA President |
In the "It can’t happen here" department, U.S. and Canadian pilots should take note of what happened recently to the Singapore Airlines Ltd. pilots’ union, the Air Line Pilots’ Association of Singapore (ALPA-S).
After Singapore Airlines management was able to cut wages because of the adverse effect of the SARS health crisis, ALPA-S voted to fire its entire leadership. The pilots said union leaders had not handled the negotiations aggressively enough.
Singapore Airlines posted a $181.1 million (U.S.) loss in the first quarter of 2003, but rebounded with a $177.6 million profit the following quarter.
| News from IFALPA:
International Youth Exchange Promotes Good Will The International Youth Exchange Program for Families of Airline Employees is accepting applications for summer 2004. The program is open to sons and daughters, ages 14 to 21, of airline employees. The program matches eligible youngsters with an airline family that has a student approximately the same age. Participants communicate by letter, e-mail, or fax to become acquainted before the 2-week exchanges take place. Coordinated by retired Northwest Airlines employee Camille Wheeler, the program has matched youngsters with families from Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Applications and information are available from The International Youth Exchange Program, P.O. Box 211065, St. Paul, MN 55121-2465; or cwhee23773@aol.com. |
Nonetheless, after long negotiations with union leaders and mediation by the Industrial Arbitration Court and the Singapore government, company management was able to reduce wages between 5 and 16.5 percent temporarily and to require compulsory unpaid leave for its 1,700 pilots.
Singapore usually enjoys a relatively tranquil business climate because of the unique relationship between the government, employers, and unions.
Under the arrangement, unions rarely openly challenge the government or their employers. ALPA-S is the only union in Singapore to have the right of seeking consent from its members, or membership ratification, a privilege it has enjoyed since 1980.
Claiming the union’s action could threaten Singapore’s economy, the government moved quickly to curb the long-held right of member approval. The Singapore Ministry of Manpower planned to amend the Trade Unions Act to remove the requirement that ALPA-S’s executive committee seek approval from its members before committing to collective agreements.
"This decision shows what can happen when the balance of power tips too far toward governmental control of unions," observes ALPA’s president, Capt. Duane Woerth. "In one fell swoop, the Singapore government has stripped the pilots of their voice."
The city-state Singapore government will also ban foreigners from serving on the ALPA-S board. Under current rules, two foreigners are allowed to serve on the 22-member executive council. According to ALPA-S officials, just under half of the union’s members are non-Singaporean.
The government said it was taking the actions because the "confrontational industrial relations" reflected by the union’s action could put jobs and the Singapore economy at risk. The government also challenged company management to work on its labor administration skills, noting that Singapore Airlines would have to pay competitive wages to retain its best workers and regain the loyalty of its pilots. The government owns 55 percent of the airline.