Air Malta workers should be guaranteed alternative employment - UHM

UHM’s statement came in the wake of an ultimatum by General Workers’ Union made on Wednesday, where the union called on government to guarantee absorption of redundant Air Malta workers into the public service by 30 June.

Should government fail to do so, GWU general secretary Tony Zarb warned, it would resort to registering an industrial dispute. He also did not rule out the possibility of industrial action. “We don’t want to reach the stage of an industrial action, but we’re ready to do what it takes to protect Air Malta employees," Zarb said.

The Finance ministry subsequently issued a reaction saying that it intends to offer a number of solutions as to how each decision on Air Malta employees can be taken "with the least social impact possible".

In a statement on Thursday, the UHM noted “with satisfaction” the ministry’s statement. It however expressed concern at how government “held back considerably from promising alternative employment for these workers.”

The UHM said that, as with the Selmun Palace Hotel’s workforce, “the financial situation in Air Malta surely is not blameable on workers,” and that these shouldn’t suffer the consequences for “bad and erroneous decisions made in the past.”

The UHM reiterated its position that Air Malta workers should not lose their jobs but be offered alternative employment by government “as it had done with workers in other agencies where government held the majority of shares.”

Contacted by MaltaToday, Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) president Dominic Azzopardi said that Air Malta will be unveiling details regarding the airline’s workforce reduction with its respective union representatives over the coming week.

He said that, given how the restructuring plan is finalised, the airline’s new chief executive officer Peter Davies will be meeting with unions to discuss the fate of each respective section of the airline’s workforce.

“As pilots, we still have no guarantees,” Azzopardi said however. “We do not know how many pilots will be dropped.” He added that ALPA is recommending that pilots be kept on board and leased to other air lines as necessary

Azzopardi said that Air Malta should consider pilots "as an asset" and these leases could be done “at a profit.”

Asked to react to the General Workers’ Union’s ultimatum demanding that government guarantees the absorption of redundant Air Malta workers into the public service on pain of potential industrial action, Azzopardi downplayed the possibility of strikes.

“I heard him (GWU general secretary Tony Zarb) speak today and he wants to get things fixed,” Azzopardi said. “He never said that industrial action will surely be resorted to.”

He added that currently, all unions involved in the Air Malta issue are “in the same position”, pointing out how all workers have no guarantees on continued employment.

Azzopardi however added that pilots are presented with additional problems: “Pilots cannot be absorbed into the public service, given their specific training.”

Reacting to the Finance ministry’s statement promising “solutions” to workers, Azzopardi urged government to issue voluntary retirement schemes “as soon as possible to allow the workers time to weigh their options and decide.”

He added that Air Malta CEO will be holding a meeting with Air Malta employees on Friday afternoon (5:30pm) at the Dolmen Hotel to update them on the latest developments. Azzopardi said that ALPA will be holding an extraordinary general meeting on 5 July to discuss developments with its members.