JAL to ax about 170 pilots, flight attendants+

TOKYO, Dec. 28 Kyodo -
Japan Airlines Corp. said Tuesday it will ax about 170 pilots and flight
attendants Friday as its voluntary retirement program has failed to meet a job
reduction target that forms part of its revival efforts.
The figure consists of about 80 pilots and 60 flight attendants currently
working and 30 others in both jobs who are on leave, the company said.
JAL is restructuring under court protection. Under its rehabilitation plan
approved by the Tokyo District Court, JAL is aiming to cut its head count to
32,600 by the end of March, shedding roughly 16,000 jobs, or around 30 percent
of its group workforce of 48,714 as of March 31, 2010, the end of last fiscal
year.
In addition to the latest personnel reduction, the airline now expects to cut
1,000 to 1,500 more employees through such means as selling unit companies to
fulfill the targeted 16,000 job cut, President Masaru Onishi told a press
conference.
''I feel very sorry for those who are subject to the dismissal and their
families,'' he said. ''We'll aim to stand on the starting line for
reconstruction and revive the company as early as possible (to keep it
alive).''
The airline's plan to cut employee numbers has drawn fire from some personnel,
with more than 85 pilots and cabin attendants planning to file lawsuits with
the Tokyo District Court in mid-January to seek to nullification of their
dismissals, according to sources close to the matter.
Onishi said he is fully aware that such a development could occur, but said he
cannot comment at this time on what may happen in the future.
As part of its workforce reduction efforts, the airline announced Dec. 9 it
will terminate the employment contracts of up to 200 pilots and flight
attendants and that it has extended the deadline for the voluntary retirement
program to reduce the number of forcible dismissals. Since then, about 30
employees have applied for the program, JAL said.
JAL Chairman Kazuo Inamori stressed that the airline succeeded in making
profits that exceed the target set in the rehabilitation plan, saying that it
chalked up a consolidated operating profit of nearly 150 billion yen in the
April-November period.
Meanwhile, Hideo Seto, a trustee of JAL's bankruptcy administrator,
state-backed Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp. of Japan, said some JAL
executives will hold shares of the airline in order to enhance their sense of
responsibility.
The airline should consider letting employees hold shares in the future if they
wish to do so, Seto added.
==Kyodo
2010-12-29 00:14:38