Airport Chaos Looms as Staff Fury Erupts Over ‘Arbitrary’ Bonus Cut

Airports of Mauritius Ltd (AML) staff are in open revolt following a contentious decision by CEO Lormus Bundhoo to scrap a long-standing performance-based bonus system, leading to major operational disruption at SSR International Airport. On Monday October 20, half of the teams failed to show up for two shifts, causing long queues and a general slowdown of airport operations, in what some employees are calling “passive sabotage.”

The crisis stems from Mr Bundhoo’s unilateral announcement to award a flat one-month salary bonus to all staff, regardless of individual merit or performance.

This move has sparked “sour anger” and widespread accusations that the decision is “unjust and arbitrary,” flagrantly violating the Performance Management System (PMS) Manual in force for over a decade.

Breach of Contract and Strike Threat

Employees are furious that the new blanket bonus effectively “erases all recognition of individual merit.”

One employee described the move as a “pure and simple betrayal,” asking, “Why evaluate us if everyone receives the same thing?”

The staff unrest is escalating rapidly. Several employees are threatening to resort to union action if management refuses to reinstate the PMS Manual’s rules.

Others are considering a formal complaint for non-compliance with internal procedures, warning, “This is only the beginning.”

The PMS Manual, established in 2011, provided a clear, equitable scale rewarding performance rated out of 5 points. Under the old system, which last year saw some staff receive up to 1.2 months’ bonus, the scale was:

CEO Under Fire

CEO Lormus Bundhoo, new to his post, is facing immediate turmoil. His decision, which was taken without prior consultation with unions or public explanation, is widely viewed as authoritarian and detached from the reality on the ground.

Senior staff echoed the general discontent, stating that the bonus is “not a gift, but a right defined by precise rules.”

A senior executive warned, “By trampling on them, the CEO sends a catastrophic signal to his teams.”

Deteriorating Social Climate

Beyond the bonus dispute, staff are denouncing a “break in the moral contract” between AML and its personnel.

The atmosphere in the airport corridors is now dominated by distrust, demotivation, and a loss of confidence.

Management has so far remained silent, but observers are increasingly concerned that the demobilisation in such a sensitive environment could directly risk the quality of service and the image of the country’s main airport.

Management must quickly re-establish dialogue to prevent the mounting unrest from escalating into a full-blown crisis.

Source: Le Mauricien