Royal Air Maroc’s Recovery Plan Sparks Union Backlash Over Mass Layoffs

The flight crew and some members of the company are against the recovery plan proposed by the management, which takes into account the dismissal of 858 employees, including 180 pilots, the reduction of the fleet to 20 aircraft, including 4 Boeing 787 and the temporary suspension of certain routes.

According to Médias24, the UTM and pilots in line reject any mass layoffs and demand voluntary departures for all professional categories and not just for those over 57 years of age. They also regret not having been associated with the decision of mass layoffs, which also affects the technical and commercial flight crew, as well as 500 ground staff, in service at the level of its subsidiary Atlas Multi Services.

According to a source close to the management, this crisis exit plan, which involves cost reduction, is the mandatory condition for benefiting from the financial support of the State.

In any case, Allal Baba Lahcen, union representative of the 2,200 employees affiliated with the UMT of the RAM group, does not intend to abandon his colleagues to this fate. "As a union, we must defend the rights of the 858 mothers and fathers who refuse to find themselves in precariousness...", he said.

It should be noted that Royal Air Maroc has recorded significant losses since the onset of the covid-19 crisis, the worst it has ever known in its history.