Nufam claimed that some companies had neglected their responsibility to pay employees outstanding wages or compensation even after a court order had been obtained.

“When their cases are brought to the attention of the labour department and the industrial court, only awards are issued, with no follow-up action taken against employers who refuse to pay compensation.

“Employers are supposed to pay within 30 days of the court order, but some completely ignore the order,” it said in a statement.

Nufam said many workers in the aviation industry had been affected by this issue for a long time, the latest being employees of troubled carrier MYAirline Sdn Bhd.

“Until today, many of these affected workers have not received any payments or compensation that should have been paid by their employers.

“Some have had to go back and forth to the courts for years due to the irresponsible actions of employers who want to oppose the rights claimed by terminated employees,” it added.

It also claimed that when companies shut down, they often evade making compensation payments to the employees.

“It is time for the ministry responsible to review the weak laws that do not prioritise the rights of workers to ensure that compensation for these workers is fully paid.”

On Oct 18 last year, Nufam urged MYAirline to make partial payments of outstanding salaries owed to employees before embarking on other recovery measures.

On Oct 31, a group of up to 15 MYAirline employees filed a police report against the troubled carrier over unpaid salaries.

Abdul Salam Nek Kamal, a customer service officer at MYAirline, said employees were facing significant financial hardships after the airline failed to pay them their salaries for the previous two months.

MYAirline abruptly suspended its operations on Oct 12, 2023, citing severe financial difficulties. The move reportedly affected more than 125,000 passengers who purchased over RM20 million worth of tickets for trips until March 2024.