Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor said there are over 30,000 hotel employees in Malaysia who lost their job, more than 10,000 people have been forced to take unpaid leave and pay cut for more than 6,000 others because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The numbers are much higher as we do not know the actual number of those who are affected because many hotel workers are not union workers. There are also many hotels that do not have a trade union,” he added.
From March 18 to May 27, MTUC, itself through its COVID-19 Helpdesk received 678 complaints from the hotel sector, including for a pay cut, involving 383 cases, dismissal (186), forced leave (37), forced to take unpaid leave (54), and 17 cases in connection with the enforcement of the Movement Control Order
Malaysia Hotels Closure
More than 160 hotels in Malaysia has closed down, considering to close permanently or considering a temporary closure according to a survey from the Malaysian Association of Hotels.
Government Assistance Inadequate
The current stimulus announced by the government is severely inadequate to help the hospitality industry to stay afloat in this tough period.
93 per cent of the hotel said they needed a minimum of six months’ wage subsidy to stay afloat, with 74 per cent asking for a higher government subsidy.
The hotel industry is in a pinch due to the restricted travel for foreigners to enter the country, and also interstate travel ban which deters domestic travel for locals.
Jobless & Helpless
Hotel workers who were retrenched or forced on a few months unpaid leaves are finding hard to find a new job as the MCO severely halted the entire hotel industry.
It’s sad to see that
Yes indeed 🙁