Rafidah asks unions not to block efficiency measures

KUALA LUMPUR: Former International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz has asked Malaysian trade unions and workers to support any effort to make their companies more efficient instead of obstructing them.

"There is simply no room or time for any company to just have a business as usual attitude and allow excess baggage of the past to hamper the move to be more competitive," she said.

Rafidah, credited internationally for bringing the cream of direct foreign investments to Malaysia, warned trade unions that the market place was becoming extremely competitive and even more so for this region with the arrival of the Asean Open Skies policy in 2015.

She was commenting on the eight-month share swap agreement between Malaysia Airlines and budget airline AirAsia which unravelled earlier this month following stiff opposition from MAS's employees' unions.

"Trade unions and employees should support any effort to make their company more efficient and not hamper and obstruct and politicise the issue," said Rafidah, who is also chairman of AirAsia X, AirAsia's long-haul affiliate.

Source: MOLE