Air Transport

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has implemented a shorter working week for staff after reaching a last minute compromise with the Airline Pilots Association- Singapore (ALPA-S).

"Following mediation between the company and ALPA-S with the Ministry of Manpower, ALPA-S has agreed to one day of compulsory no-pay leave for pilots for the month of May," SIA says in a statement.

"This is an interim measure to provide both parties more time for discussions on the number of compulsory no-pay leave days required to match head-count to operational requirements," it adds.

The matter went to mediation because the two sides had been unable to negotiate a deal earlier. If SIA had failed to reach a deal with the pilots it would have jeopardized its other union agreements.

SIA announced in early April it had in-principle agreements, over no-pay leave, with the Airline Executive Union as well as the Singapore Airlines Staff Union representing ground and cabin staff.

But those two deals, which took effect on 1 May, were contingent on the airline reaching an agreement with the pilots, it said.

The pilots have insisted they are only willing to take one day off a month as unpaid leave, the same as what management are doing.

But the airline wants the pilots to take more days off per month.

SIA has too many pilots because it plans to cut capacity by 11% this fiscal year.