Royal Air Maroc Pilots Challenge Layoffs, Cite Contract Violations

In a correspondence dated August 17, i.e. 4 days after the meeting of the provincial commission, the pilots gathered within the Moroccan Association of Airline Pilots (AMPL) recalled that within the company, "the respect of the law, of the right and of the signed contracts (in particular the internal regulations and the protocol of agreement dated March 1, 2019 relating to social peace) as well as a social climate and healthy labor relations" are lacking.

According to the pilots, these transgressions of the laws by the company are validated by the administration and the representatives of the various ministerial departments involved. While recalling the irregularities that prevailed during the meeting of August 13, they say they have unfortunately noted an absence of negotiation and consultation on the part of the company "prior to the announcement of its willingness to drastically reduce the workforce, even though the staff representatives are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to overcome the current crisis which is certainly serious but fortunately very temporary". The AMPL did not fail to specify that it had sent many correspondences that remained "mostly unanswered" and did not "produce any effect".

According to the representatives of the pilots, all the documents that could allow the staff representatives to analyze and understand the economic and social situation of the company have never been shared. Consequently, they believe that these same documents have not been handed over to the provincial delegate "thus rendering any attempt to investigate the situation and the procedure justifying the use of layoffs futile".

Following the call to "patriotism and individual and collective responsibilities" by King Mohammed VI during the Throne speech, the AMPL has made proposals to the Governor. Among other proposals, the airline pilots are "willing to take charge, through a corresponding reduction in their financial remuneration, of the cost of the reduction in the wage bill that RAM would have benefited from by proceeding with the economic layoff of 140 employees".

This proposal is also accompanied by the "complete freezing of the payment of variable bonuses for all staff benefiting from this bonus, including administrative management staff, as long as the crisis related to the Covid-19 pandemic continues". In detail, this represents 154 million dirhams for the technical flight crew (PNT) and 67 million dirhams for the ground staff benefiting from the annual variable bonus.

Indicating that they are willing to favor the path of dialogue, consultation and social dialogue, they invite RAM’s management to sign a "Solidarity and Future Agreement" in order to preserve the jobs of pilots and other staff members.