Sorry No Bonus But Job Secured

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I BELIEVE the Movement Control Order since March 18 has led us to so many problems and issues, some of which are still unsolved. The rakyat's predicaments to their daily live, cost of living, lost of jobs and interruption to education are multiplying. The cause is non other the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

The whole world is affected. All sectors of the economy are crippled in some ways. Airways, rail service and shipping too. No cross boundaries are allowed and this means no to 'imports and exports' of some items.
I was talking to some postmen few days ago, narrating how difficult it was working under MCO - with face masks, gloves and other precautionary gears, plus the fasting month of Ramadan for Muslims. I can imagine the challenges to work under such a circumstances.
One startled me when he posed a 'cepumas' question - bonus and Hari Raya. I can understand their high expectation and anticipation. Since they are staff of Pos Malaysia, bonus is what they are waiting for every year and every Raya eve.
Too bad. I know their workload increases during this festive season, leading to customers complaint recently that tonnes of parcels were 'stranded and undelivered on time' at the KLIA. Other sectors too saw a buildup which forced Pos Malaysia to hire temporary staff, notably on its delivery portfolio, to assist them.
We gotta understand that Pos Malaysia services are divided into four sections, namely courier, mail, retail and PMI. Although revenue from courier is high, the story didnt appear the same with the mailing section which saw a 50 per cent decline whereas on retail and PMI lost more than 60 per cent since MCO was implemented.
The management (I was told) was at all-out situation to achieve a balance of cash flow for the company that it has to do it on daily basis since all operational expenses are properly attended to as to keep the staff salary running.
"At the moment, our financial does not permit any bonus. We are deeply sorry and hope they (the staff) understand. We will monitor daily expenses tightly and will tell them should there be any changes to it.
"However, we have given them a token of RM250 for Ramadan. That's all as at now. We need to adhere to prudent spending as times are bad. We still retain them, no VSS or resorting to pay cut. Please bear with us. Compared with many other companies which have to layoff workers and introducing pay cut, Pos Malaysia will do its best not to take such actions."
Well, times are really bad which prompted the government to allow some sectors to resume operation. And since Pos Malaysia doesn't come under special financial aid from the government, it has to stimulate on its own. It really needs comprehension from the workers, and if I am one of them, I will be thankful for still having a job and salary.
For the nine months ended Dec 31, 2019, Pos Malaysia’s net loss widened to RM215.6 mil from RM24.6 mil a year ago on the back of lower revenue of RM1.7 bil versus RM1.8 bil.And it is expected that it will register a sluggish 1H20 on the protracted Covid-19 pandemic, which has disrupted e-commerce cross-border shipments and regional air travel.That, coupled with the government’s MCO, is seen as directly impacting its postal services, courier and aviation operations. Conversely, the impact should be softened by the near-term plunge in fuel costs.Covid-19 is affecting supply chains worldwide. The previous shutdown of many Chinese manufacturing facilities will lead to a significant supply shortage for the upcoming immediate few months.The MCO is badly affecting courier service operations badly. The courier operator will record lower revenue as less logistical need is required due to out-of-stock status of the e-commerce products.Report said players in the courier services segment have seen a drop of between 40 per cent and 60 per cent in terms of revenue as demand falls. Local shipments have dropped by 70 per cent, it seems.So, to Pos Malaysia staff, hold your horses. Your employer is benevolent enough, unlike some similar companies who had to lay off some workers, reducing salary by more than half and other unpleasant measures.

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