Air Malta workers yet another victim of a clientelist political system - ADPD

The Greens say that government realised that pre-election promises, related to the voluntary employee transfer scheme, are not possible to maintain

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana had announced that Air Malta’s workforce would be halved under plans to make the airline financially viable
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana had announced that Air Malta’s workforce would be halved under plans to make the airline financially viable

ADPD – The Green Party said that Air Malta workers were yet another victim of the clientelist political system, set up by PL and PN.

Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that although Air Malta workers were promised employment on the same terms and conditions prior to the election, the government was now realising that this is an impossible promise to keep.

"We are saddened to see Air Malta workers being used, yet again, as a political football,” Cacopardo said.

In January Finance Minister Clyde Caruana had announced that Air Malta’s workforce would be halved under plans to make the airline financially viable. The employees who chose to voluntarily leave the company were offered alternative employment with the government.

In February the airline had said it had received 571 applications from workers to be transferred onto the government’s books.

Cacopardo said that media reports of Finance Minister Clyde Caruana reneging on the commitment he made with Air Malta employees in February, is a testament to a “cynical political ploy”.

“It is yet another confirmation that the clientelist political system is still as strong as ever. We have now become used to governments paying lip service to the principles of good governance, but then unashamedly practicing vote buying, reneging on their impossible promises once the election is over,” Cacopardo said.

He added that political clientelism was a direct consequence of a parliament “totally dominated” by the two major parties.

Cacopardo stressed that PL and PN have consistently joined forces to resist electoral reform because they know that a pluralist parliament will mean an end to their “nepotistic and clientelist politics”.

ADPD Secretary General Ralph Cassar said that the government’s attitude in this matter resulted from the bi-party system.

“The Air Malta problem is what it is because of years on years of political clientelism. Air Malta has been plagued by this nepotistic and clientelist political interference since its inception in fact. PLPN have milked Air Malta dry.”

Cassar labeled Air Malta as the “cash-cow” of PL and PN, arguing that it served as a vote-buying tool, financed through public funds and taxes.