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Some 200 of Oman Air's staff based here in Muscat have gone on strike since 31st May - daily updates on the Oman Air facebook page has indicated that over 80% of their scheduled flights have been on time, and the impact to their passengers has not been particularly great.
There's no real explanation why these people have gone on strike, other than that they want reduced hours and more salary, but one might draw the conclusion that those who have gone on strike never actually did much very work, and those that haven't gone on strike seem to have taken up the slack with few problems. The proofs in the pudding eh?
In this modern age of Oman, with enforced labour laws and minimum salaries, I personally question why labour unions were ever even allowed to be formed here, but for me this just smacks of employees attempting to hold their employers to ransom with an ambush strike with no warning given (according to Gulf News article statement) - something against the law here.
Ho hum. The point of blogging this is to let you know if you are flying with Oman Air in the next couple of days you might see some delays.
le fin.
Oman Air staff on strike
![Oman Air staff on strike]()
Reviewed by Sythe
on
Sunday, June 02, 2013
Rating:
It's about time someone did something in Oman Air. This strike has been along time coming and these major problems as usual have been kept quiet.It is not about less hours and additional salary.They (WY) have 'till the end of the month to sort things out internally. Of course the CEO's hands are tied but we will see what the Ministers can do.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many internal issues regarding all dpt's. If Oman Air want an International Airline, allow it to be run as such and let what few professionals there are get on with the job at hand and acknowledge the fact.
Pilots,Managers,Cabin Crew and all other WY employees want a shake up. Instead of taking away,GIVE for a change and I am not talking Monetary primarily.There are alot of 'bad apples',jacked up,unqualified people running the show and ruining Oman Air slowly.
SUCH A SHAME to think where Oman Aviation came from to this.....
GOOD LUCK to ALL and I hope this time they get results.I AM ONE OF THEM.
Hmmm... ^^^^ Nice read above in the comment by one of the staff on strike. All agreed. But what about poor service since forever by the same staff of Oman Air since like forever??? I have had so many arguements with MULTIPLE UNHELPFUL DONT-CARE staff of WY since like over 10 years since I can remember. And poor treatment of the Sub Continental Not-so-seemingly-well-to-do-passenger....who actually is also afterall paying for the damn WY ticket.. Surprise Surprise.. yes he pays too and makes buildings and roads of this country. I have had fights with many a WY staff because I dont stand and watch this non-sense on the side. So the striking dude and dudettes at WY... no public sympathy for you. Life is full-circle... remember :D You reap what you sow eventually :P
ReplyDeleteFirst, the first link is very old, 2011!
ReplyDeleteSecond, here is the strike requirements, find some one to translate it
قائمة المطالب:
1:تغيير أعضاء مجلس الادارة.
2:تغيير الرؤساء الغير منتجين Cheif officer.
3:الغاء عقد شركة لايت هاوس لأنها السبب في كل هذه المشاكل.
4:الغاء اللجنة المتكونة من معالي درويش بالتوقيع والموافقةعلى الترقيات.
5:اعادة هيكلة لجميع الاقسام بالمطار وتقييم عمل المدراء.
6:تسريح المدراء الذين مضي عليهم عشرين سنة في مناصبهم.
7:ايجاد خطط وبرامج اجبارية لتطوير العماني واحلاله مكان الوافد.
8:استحداث وظيفة مدقق حسابات في كل الاقسام تفاديا للتلاعب المالي.
9:المدير الغير منتج يسرح نهائيا.
10:جابين شاه لا مكان له في الطيران العماني هو والمجموعة الهندية التي معه.
Unfair to refer each strike to more salary and Les working hours, shallow thinking in away
From Google translate, obviously not the best translation.
ReplyDelete1: Change the members of the Board of Directors.
2: Change the presidents of others producers Cheif officer.
3: cancel the holding company for the White House because they are the cause of all these problems.
4: The cancellation of the Committee consisting of HE Darwish signed and promotions Moavqhaly.
5: restructuring of all sections of the airport and evaluate the work of managers.
6: demobilization managers who move them twenty years in office.
7: Finding mandatory plans and programs for the development of Oman and place newcomer status.
8: the development and function of the auditor in all categories in order to avoid financial manipulation.
9: Director of non-product lays off final.
10: جابين the Shah has no place in Oman Air is the Indian group with him.
1: Change the members of the Board of Directors.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Because history across Oman since time immemorial shows what a success that brings. The uneducated and uninformed thinking that all problems will disappear, if the new guy (who is in the canteen promising bigger salaries and more freebies) gets in.
2: Change the presidents of others producers Cheif officer.
See above.
3: cancel the holding company for the White House because they are the cause of all these problems.
What problems? First two points are not problems.
4: The cancellation of the Committee consisting of HE Darwish signed and promotions Moavqhaly.
Are you kidding me? And leave the Raisi, Zadjali, Baluchi clans without something to line their pockets?
5: restructuring of all sections of the airport and evaluate the work of managers.
Finally, some sense. And sorry kids, but you have to include those of you below managers who have eight funerals and month, sick kids once a week and a court date every other day. IT IS NOT JUST MANAGERS!
6: demobilization managers who move them twenty years in office.
No. Why?
7: Finding mandatory plans and programs for the development of Oman and place newcomer status.
Ah yes. The "give me money and a promotion because I am here a year now." If you had options, you would leave! No options....then stay and shut up! life ain't a free ride, especially if you are thick, self-entitled or both.
8: the development and function of the auditor in all categories in order to avoid financial manipulation.
Fine with that, but the majority of heads that I have spoken to just want the auditor there so that the manipulated funds can be re-manipulated to their favour in terms of undeserved bonuses and pay-rises.
9: Director of non-product lays off final.
Lost in translation.
10: جابين the Shah has no place in Oman Air is the Indian group with him.
The Indians will always find a way to line their pockets. And when you treat them with the snappy demanding tone that most Omanis do, then they will invariably make your difficult. It is too late to get rid of the Indians. They run your country. It's theirs. They almost own it at this stage. You're just too blind, or dumb to see it.
Oman Air is not Emirates, Etihad or the other GCC biggies. It is tiny! Again, the "we are same Emirates. why I have no money" crowd of delusionals wanting more cash and blaming it on the minister, the managers and of course, the Indians.
The same Indians who are always on time, seem to have a much lower family mortality rates, sick kids and court cases to deal with, and while they may not be my favourite group of people in the world to do business with, I have to say that they are the ones holding Oman Air together right now.
And lining their pockets!
ReplyDeleteBefore comments like, "line their pockets" is made, you need to learn what it means. Earning money is not lining pockets, unless you're inferring that these Indians are scamming the company out of its money by simply showing up and actually working.
ReplyDeleteMr. Sythe, the Google translation is horrible! Here is mine from the top of my head:
ReplyDelete1.Replacement of the Members of the Board of Directors.
2.Replacement of Unproductive Chief Officers.
3.Cancelation of the Contract of The Lighthouse Company as it is the main reason for all these problems. (Is this The Lighthouse Company refered to here? I don't know: http://www.tlhglobal.com/html/Whatwedo.htm)
4.Demolish the Committee that consists of His Excellency Darwish by signature & approvals of promotions. (that is to say, first: the people who have the power to demolish this Committee must sign certain documents as proof that this committee has been demolished. Second: Approve the Promotions of those employees who have been selected to be promoted).
5.Restructure all departments at the Airport & reassess job descriptions of all Managers.
6.All Managers who have completed 20 years on their jobs must be allowed to go (i.e. Fire them out!).
7.Introduce & Enforce Plans and Programs that will develop the Omani employee as well as enable him / her to replace the expat employee.
8.An Auditor Position must be introduced in every single department to overcome financial manipulation.
9.The Non Productive Manager must be allowed to go (i.e., Fire them out!).
10.Jabin Shah & the group of Indians with him have no place at Oman Air.
Who is Jabin Shah?
ReplyDeleteI think they mean respected Mr. Japeen Shah, who is the CFO at Oman Air.
ReplyDeleteYes, its actually Japeen Shah, the CFO of Oman Air: http://om.linkedin.com/pub/japeen-shah/19/a29/5a9
ReplyDeleteMay I add, that Mr. Shah was handed a financial lemon when he took over at Oman Air, and has done a terrific job in stabilising the company's fiscal position. (I neither know his personally or represent him in any way, but I do see evidence of his work.)
ReplyDeleteThe requests for his dismissal irk me more than most in the list of "demands" as they come from a group of people who's personal financial mismanagement is painfully obvious to see.
You KNOW you have 800 rials a month, but you insist on driving a Lexus GS300, having a Samsung Galaxy 4 and churning out kids with wild abandon, yet you expect the government and Oman Air to pay for your follies? Get real!
Every Arab Spring, no matter how small, has a wake-up call attached to it for those who wave banners in the hopes of reform. A reform that they neither understand or need. Thank God that they Sultan is there to show you compassion and love. Anywhere else in the region and you would be treating your baton-busted shins.
Did the striking workers uphold their end of the bargain - their work agreement with Oman Air? Come to work on time? Come to work at all? Spend a high percentage of time working at work, as opposed to chatting, texting, high-fiving and delegating stuff to the Indians "lining their pockets" (so funny that one), rocking up in a uniform that looks like you slept in it, probably because you did - no, they categorically did not.
They did what most local heads do, and bled the system for as much money as they could and then asked for more and going into a tantrum when told 'No, children! Time to do some work for a change, then we will talk."
The return on investment when employing the majority of Omanis is dismal and in most cases negative.
The government is trying its best to remedy the situation but they are dealing with stock that has been brought up on hand-outs and slave-workers disguised with 60 rials a months, a 70-hour week and accommodation that they have the stupidity / naivety to call a "labour-camp".
Just look the term up Google and see what's the first thing it churns up. (Ohhhhh!)...Duh!
In general....Omani workers....a waste of oxygen.
Move on, folks. It will all come to a head soon.
"Oman Air is not Emirates, Etihad or the other GCC biggies. It is tiny! Again, the "we are same Emirates. why I have no money" crowd of delusionals wanting more cash and blaming it on the minister, the managers and of course, the Indians.
ReplyDeleteThe same Indians who are always on time, seem to have a much lower family mortality rates, sick kids and court cases to deal with, and while they may not be my favourite group of people in the world to do business with, I have to say that they are the ones holding Oman Air together right now."
"You KNOW you have 800 rials a month, but you insist on driving a Lexus GS300, having a Samsung Galaxy 4 and churning out kids with wild abandon, yet you expect the government and Oman Air to pay for your follies? Get real!"
The above is the "plain truth" folks.
Let us [we Omanis] get real and stop this childish atitude towards life.
It is sad and unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteJust to bring in more information...after the strike the performance of this airport has improved drastically and I mean it. The check-in has become more smooth and fast and as a matter of fact we yes we working at the airport are more happy now and have our flights leave on time....surprising but true.
They want promotions but don't want to have promotions based on merit. Come on guys this is international airport you need to really work to get promotions and without appropriate knowledge and respect of time....I don't think you deserve it. Remain on strike and keep us happy.
lol...had to laugh when i read the headline...i know people who work there. They make TONS of money.
ReplyDeleteAnd few hours. But for many locals who haven't grown up in a work work culture under capitalism..any physical work..is too much.
Over 7 years in Oman, I speak from experience. I know some of the locals work hard, but they are the exception. And I love Oman and Omanis, but they have no idea how hard the 'real world' is and how much and how many hours one must work. No idea about social accountability, no idea about customer service on a basic level.
The blogger Dhofar Gucci wrote a great letter to Oman Air. I suggest everyone read it.
I will not be flying Oman Air anymore.
Qatar Air is taking over....good thing.