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Singapore Airlines staff union rocked by power struggle
Posted on: Fri, 17 Dec 2010
A power struggle in the Singapore Airlines Staff Union (Siasu) is threatening to tear it into two.
In what could be its fiercest election contest in 22 years, one major faction has warned that it will break away and form a separate union if it fails to secure the key post of general secretary when Siasu holds a delegates convention on New Year's Eve to elect its executive committee (exco) members.
The confrontation is the result of a breakdown in relations between the leaderships of Siasu's two largest branches: one representing the airline's cabin crew and the other representing the workers of SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC).
Their members form more than three-quarters of the union, which has a total of 15 branches and 9,700 members, who are the rank-and-file workers of Singapore Airlines.
Since 1988, the two groups had adhered to an informal power-sharing agreement, in which each gets one of the top two positions on Siasu's 23-member exco. The two posts are president and general secretary.
But a new group of leaders in the cabin crew branch, led by its chairman Tony Sim, wants an end to the arrangement.
Their reason? They feel Siasu's general secretary S. Rathakrishnan, who is from SIAEC, had shown support for their rivals when cabin crew members were electing delegates in October for the Dec 31 convention.
All the 15 branches had held individual elections in October to pick delegates for the convention. At SIAEC, Mr Rathakrishnan's group won the day.
But at the cabin crew branch, Mr Alan Tan, who is also Siasu's president, lost by a huge margin to Mr Sim, a newcomer to union work. The loss means Mr Tan has to step down as the president.
Mr Rathakrishnan has denied being partial, saying he was present at the cabin crew election as Siasu's general secretary to officiate at the proceedings.
'I remained a neutral observer throughout the campaign and polling. And when Mr Sim won, I shook his hand to congratulate him,' he told The Straits Times.
Subsequently, both sides met twice last month to thrash out who should be the general secretary in the new exco, whose term is for three years.
When no consensus was reached, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) stepped in to mediate.
Earlier this week, its officials met leaders of both factions but the issue could not be resolved.
When contacted, Ms Cham Hui Fong, NTUC's director of industrial relations, said in an e-mail: 'NTUC will work with the present and incoming leadership of Siasu to further the interest of members.'
The breakdown in the talks stems from the cabin crew group's insistence on the general secretary post going to the leader of a much smaller branch called Engine Overhaul.
He is Mr Logannaathan, 61, who is to hold the post until his retirement, after which it will be handed to SIAEC.
According to company policy, Mr Logannaathan's retirement should take place in five months' time, due to his age.
SIAEC found the offer 'totally unacceptable', Mr Rathakrishnan said, adding: 'How can I ensure the welfare and interest of my members if, as the second-largest branch, we cannot secure the general secretary position?'
SIAEC has 3,100 members while the cabin crew branch has 4,500 members.
Mr Sim could not be reached for comment as he is on a flight. Another cabin crew leader, Mr Daniel Chew, declined to comment when contacted. Both men had represented the branch in the meetings with SIAEC.
Union sources said the new cabin crew leaders have taken the hard line at negotiations with SIAEC because they believe they have garnered enough support from delegates to elect the people they want to Siasu's exco.
Besides their own branch's 20 delegates, they need to convince at least 14 others from the smaller branches to vote along with them.
But until the actual voting takes place, 'anything can happen', said Mr Rathakrishnan, whose SIAEC branch is also entitled to send 20 delegates.
In all, 67 delegates will vote at the convention.
Mr Rathakrishnan disclosed that Siasu's current exco had passed a resolution on Dec 6 to form a separate union to include all branches except the cabin crew. But this will be put into effect only if SIAEC fails to win the general secretary post.
'I'm still hoping for an amicable settlement and that Siasu will continue as one,' he said.
Singapore Airlines staff union rocked by power struggle
Posted on: Fri, 17 Dec 2010
A power struggle in the Singapore Airlines Staff Union (Siasu) is threatening to tear it into two.
In what could be its fiercest election contest in 22 years, one major faction has warned that it will break away and form a separate union if it fails to secure the key post of general secretary when Siasu holds a delegates convention on New Year's Eve to elect its executive committee (exco) members.
The confrontation is the result of a breakdown in relations between the leaderships of Siasu's two largest branches: one representing the airline's cabin crew and the other representing the workers of SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC).
Their members form more than three-quarters of the union, which has a total of 15 branches and 9,700 members, who are the rank-and-file workers of Singapore Airlines.
Since 1988, the two groups had adhered to an informal power-sharing agreement, in which each gets one of the top two positions on Siasu's 23-member exco. The two posts are president and general secretary.
But a new group of leaders in the cabin crew branch, led by its chairman Tony Sim, wants an end to the arrangement.
Their reason? They feel Siasu's general secretary S. Rathakrishnan, who is from SIAEC, had shown support for their rivals when cabin crew members were electing delegates in October for the Dec 31 convention.
All the 15 branches had held individual elections in October to pick delegates for the convention. At SIAEC, Mr Rathakrishnan's group won the day.
But at the cabin crew branch, Mr Alan Tan, who is also Siasu's president, lost by a huge margin to Mr Sim, a newcomer to union work. The loss means Mr Tan has to step down as the president.
Mr Rathakrishnan has denied being partial, saying he was present at the cabin crew election as Siasu's general secretary to officiate at the proceedings.
'I remained a neutral observer throughout the campaign and polling. And when Mr Sim won, I shook his hand to congratulate him,' he told The Straits Times.
Subsequently, both sides met twice last month to thrash out who should be the general secretary in the new exco, whose term is for three years.
When no consensus was reached, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) stepped in to mediate.
Earlier this week, its officials met leaders of both factions but the issue could not be resolved.
When contacted, Ms Cham Hui Fong, NTUC's director of industrial relations, said in an e-mail: 'NTUC will work with the present and incoming leadership of Siasu to further the interest of members.'
The breakdown in the talks stems from the cabin crew group's insistence on the general secretary post going to the leader of a much smaller branch called Engine Overhaul.
He is Mr Logannaathan, 61, who is to hold the post until his retirement, after which it will be handed to SIAEC.
According to company policy, Mr Logannaathan's retirement should take place in five months' time, due to his age.
SIAEC found the offer 'totally unacceptable', Mr Rathakrishnan said, adding: 'How can I ensure the welfare and interest of my members if, as the second-largest branch, we cannot secure the general secretary position?'
SIAEC has 3,100 members while the cabin crew branch has 4,500 members.
Mr Sim could not be reached for comment as he is on a flight. Another cabin crew leader, Mr Daniel Chew, declined to comment when contacted. Both men had represented the branch in the meetings with SIAEC.
Union sources said the new cabin crew leaders have taken the hard line at negotiations with SIAEC because they believe they have garnered enough support from delegates to elect the people they want to Siasu's exco.
Besides their own branch's 20 delegates, they need to convince at least 14 others from the smaller branches to vote along with them.
But until the actual voting takes place, 'anything can happen', said Mr Rathakrishnan, whose SIAEC branch is also entitled to send 20 delegates.
In all, 67 delegates will vote at the convention.
Mr Rathakrishnan disclosed that Siasu's current exco had passed a resolution on Dec 6 to form a separate union to include all branches except the cabin crew. But this will be put into effect only if SIAEC fails to win the general secretary post.
'I'm still hoping for an amicable settlement and that Siasu will continue as one,' he said.
