Boeing to repay furloughed staff, proceed with job cuts Posted on 08/11/2024 Boeing reported nearly US$8 billion in losses this year due to worker strikes and ongoing quality issues. (AP pic) WASHINGTON: Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said on Thursday that employees furloughed during a seven-week strike by factory workers would be repaid by the company for lost wages, but it would proceed with plans to cut about 10% of its global workforce. Boeing furloughed thousands of salaried employees on a rolling basis after the strike by 33,000 union machinists began in September and halted production of its best-selling 737 MAX. But the planemaker later cancelled the unpaid leave after announcing plans to cut 17,000 jobs. “Your sacrifice made a difference and helped the company bridge to this moment,” Ortberg told staff in an email seen by Reuters. “We want to acknowledge your support by returning your lost pay if you went on unpaid furlough.” Boeing is dealing with morale issues as it moves ahead with its job cuts, with many of the employees due to be notified about the future of their roles this month. “We will continue forward with our previously announced actions to reduce our workforce levels to align with our financial reality and a more focused and streamlined set of priorities,” Ortberg wrote to staff. “These structural changes are important to our competitiveness and will help us deliver more value to our customers over the long term.” A spokesperson for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, which represents Boeing engineers, said earlier it was informed that 60-day notices of job losses would be issued to its members on Nov 15. Boeing on Monday won ratification of a contract giving its machinists a 38% pay hike over four years and a US$12,000 bonus, ending the strike. Those workers are due back by Nov 12. Boeing has not said yet when it plans to resume production of the 737 MAX, but has indicated it will be gradual and under regulatory scrutiny. The planemaker has racked up losses of nearly US$8 billion this year as it continues to wrestle with a quality crisis from a January mid-air panel blowout. “We have hard work ahead to restore our company and deliver on our customer commitments, but we are on the right path and making the right changes,” Ortberg wrote. Boeing raised US$24 billion in fresh capital last month to shore up its finances. Ortberg said last month he is reviewing Boeing’s businesses and long-term forecasts. The company may end up selling some assets, as it downsizes its workforce to focus on the company’s key civil planemaking and core defence units. Ortberg’s email was reported earlier by the Air Current, an aviation industry publication. News
FTA Malaysia-Korea Selatan muktamad tahun depan, kata Anwar Posted on 25/11/2024 Perdana Menteri Anwar Ibrahim berkata rundingan tertangguh sejak 2019 susulan ketidakstabilan politik di Malaysia, namun senario perniagaan serta politik negara ini kini semakin baik. SEOUL: Malaysia dan Korea Selatan akan memuktamadkan perjanjian perdagangan bebas (FTA) pada tahun depan dengan kedua-dua negara komited untuk mempercepat sebarang rundingan yang tertangguh. Perdana Menteri… Read More
Decomposed body of Ipoh woman found; police detain 21-year-old nephew for questioning, urge witnesses to come forward Posted on 11/11/2024 IPOH, Nov 10 — A local woman was found dead, believed to have been killed by her nephew, at a house in Taman Puteri Lindungan Bintang, near here today. Ipoh Police Chief ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said police received a report about the incident involving the 54-year-old victim… Read More
US wants ‘behavioural change’ by Iran after president’s nuclear pledges Posted on 15/11/2024 President Masoud Pezeshkian (right) speaks with IAEA director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (left) during their meeting in Tehran. (AP pic) WASHINGTON: The US wants action rather than words by Iran on its nuclear programme, after president Masoud Pezeshkian promised to resolve doubts ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House,… Read More