Air Malta Pilots vote in favour of new collective agreement

Air Malta pilots have voted in favour of a new collective agreement negotiated by the Airline Pilots’ Association (ALPA), Air Malta and the government.

90% of pilots voted in favour of the collective agreement.

The vote was called over what the union described as serious threats and intimidation against an Air Malta employee by a senior manager. 

"Today’s vote of approval of 90% by Air Malta pilots seals the last of five collective agreements, providing for industrial peace and productivity improvements for the airline for the coming five years," Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi said.

Mizzi said that their job is to now transform Air Malta into “the Airline of the Mediterranean.”

The deal was agreed upon last Monday in talks at the Ministry of Tourism, yet the Airline Pilots Association resisted proposed changes to work conditions despite a pay increase.

This newspaper was informed that Air Malta offered its pilots a package that will see first officers’ earnings increase by an average of €72,392 over a five-year period, while the average increase for a captain would be €105,600. 
Furthermore, arrears of €6,000 have been offered to each pilot for the expired period of the collective agreement between January 2016 and December 2017.

Prime minister, Joseph Muscat had said that the pilots currently only flew for half of the industry standard.

The government and the company had already struck new deals with cabin crews, engineers and ground personnel, introducing new work practices in exchange for higher pay, aimed at enabling the airline to grow without significant recruitment.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the deal, saying the national interest had prevailed.

"The Malta Chamber hopes that now , the cloud of uncertainty that has hovered over the survival of the airline for the past years , has finally lifted, for the benefit of businesses and citizens alike."