[WATCH] Minister claims only pilots are raising concerns on Air Malta redundancies

Edward Zammit Lewis refuses to rule out Air Malta staff redunancies, but pledges that no employee will be left unemployed   

Tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis speaks to the press after a tourism conference
Tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis speaks to the press after a tourism conference
Minister claims only pilots are raising concerns on Air Malta redundancies

Only the pilots’ union has brought up possible redundancies during Air Malta’s ongoing negotiations with the airline’s employees, tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis said.

The pilots’ union ALPA said this week that the main sticking point in the negotiations was the guarantee that pilots will not lose their jobs, warning that it will not accept redundancies or reduced conditions.

However, Zammit Lewis told MaltaToday that ALPA was the only party in the talks who has brought up redundancies and that the union must therefore answer for their suggestions.

He refused to rule out that Air Malta might have to cut its staff as part of the proposed deal with Alitalia, that will see the Italian airline purchase 49% of the Maltese airline's shares. but pledged that no employees will be left unemployed.

“Even if a situation arises whereby the government will have to take care of Air Malta’s workers, rest assured that we have plans to protect all their jobs,” he said.

ALPA president Dominic Azzopardi confirmed this week that talks with Air Malta are at a standstill and accused President Emeritus George Abela - the mediator in the talks – of always taking the airline management’s side.

The tourism minister said that the government is currently analyzing the national airline’s proposed business plan, and will communicate the details of it to Air Malta’s unions in “the coming weeks”.

“Our plan is ultimately to ensure that Air Malta is commercially viable in the long-term, which will ultimately safeguard the jobs of current and future airline employees,” Zammit Lewis. “The solution lies in negotiations and not in threats to carry out industrial action.”

Air Malta and ALPA have gone to court as the national airline tried to stop the pilots from launching “disproportionate” industrial action. Air Malta’s injunction was filed after Dominic Azzopardi threatened to order a pilot strike, unless the union’s call for improved conditions were met.
The court ordered both parties to make a fresh attempt to resolve the issue and scheduled a sitting for this purpose this afternoon. Both parties are to report on the progress of talks.

Zammit Lewis was speaking following a tourism conference at the Hilton Hotel, in which he confidently said that the majority of Air Malta’s employees will support the final business plan.

“A strategic partner will give Air Malta procurement and network advantages; the airline’s business model must be changed to ensure its long-term sustainability.”

He added that connectivity to Malta’s airport is a priority for the government in the negotiation talks, noting that it recently added flights to Berlin. Palermo and Catania.

At the same time, three airlines – Iberia Express, Czech Airlines and Volotea – started flying to MIA as of last summer, and the airport is currently in negotiations with three other airlines.

Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association president Tony Zahra sounded warning bells about the entire proposed deal with Alitalia, insisting that a foreign company should not get to take strategic decisions on the Maltese airline’s direction.

However, Zammit Lewis played down his concerns, arguing that the government will remain the airline’s majority shareholder. 

Video is unavailable at this time.