Pilots union proposes 50% pay cut in bid to avoid redundancies

The Airline Pilot Association has proposed a 50% pay cut for Air Malta pilots, in an effort to avoid redundancies.

ALPA said it tried to engage with the airline’s management after Air Malta indicated that it needed 62 pilots rather than 26, as originally stated.

“Air Malta is forcing a different form of discussions, just a few days before redundancies take effect,” ALPA said.

The 30-day notice given to 108 pilots by Air Malta in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, expires on Thursday.

Air Malta took the unprecedented step to make 108 pilots from its staff of 134 redundant, after ALPA refused to take a radical pay cut and accept a €1,200 per month salary after the coronavirus grounded all flights.

The pilots’ union said that for the duration of the COVID-19 period, it submitted proposals for a 50% pay cut but proposals were rejected by Air Malta without an “adequate explanation”.

A joint request to the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) for further negotiations was also shot down by the management, the union said.

“Only three meetings were held with ALPA during the interim and the association would be eager to capitalise on the results achieved so far,” it added, but cautioned that there were “elements in the management” who want talks to fail.

“In the best interests of the airline itself, these elements must be weeded out,” ALPA said.

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri had also spoken about the possibility of avoiding redundancies if an agreement is reached.

"The reality is that COVID-19 has affected the company and people are now realising what the situation in aviation is... Difficult decisions must be taken - this message seems to have been understood more now," he had said.

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