WITH the pandemic raging, an airport union urged the Government to speed up the National COVID-19 Imminisation Programme (PICK), particularly among airport staff members.
“There are about 15,000 people working hard to ensure our airports, with its entry and departure areas, remain open and safe at all times.
“Not only are they risking their lives but also their families at home, estimated at about 50,000 who are at risk getting exposed to COVID-19,” MAHB Workers’ Union (KESMA) chairman Hussin Shahar told FocusM.
To date, many quarters have complained about the slow vaccination process, even among designated fronliners.
Last week, former Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching lashed out at the Government for its poor procedure in inoculating teachers despite being categorised as frontliners.
“Teachers were supposed to be vaccinated under Phase 2 of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (PICK) but how many of them got inoculated? Only about 70,000 out of 400,000 teachers nationwide,” she was reported saying then.
On that note, Hussin said that apart from tourist arrivals, MAHB employees work 24 hours a day to ensure cargo arrivals and departures proceed with little interruption to the process.
“Cargo arrivals and departures have soared during the unprecedented time. Companies like Pos Aviation is working around the clock to meet demand,” he added.
As airport staffers are not considered as frontliners, Hussin stated that many of them got infected with COVID-19, especially between April and June.
“And this rising infection among staff members is alarming cargo workers, ground handlers, airliner staffers and those running businesses at the airport terminals,” he remarked. – June 12, 2021
