Air Malta employees given empty promises during election – ADPD

The Green Party yesterday accused the Labour Party of using politics as a game to advance empty promises to buy votes from Air Malta workers.

ADPD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said it was a well known fact that Labour in government had been preparing for the distinct possibility of winding up Air Malta, even though just a few months ago its employees were guaranteed that the company would continue operating, and any excess labour would be transferred to the public sector, subject to the same salary and conditions.

“This guarantee cannot be implemented as it would create havoc in the public sector due to the large disparities in the pay structures and applicable benefits. Indeed, in the Labour Party’s electoral programme we read that a process has commenced to ensure that Air Malta will remain in operation and serve its strategic objectives in line with EU regulations (p. 222). Media reports this week revealed that this was all a charade and empty promises. The Labour Party does this unashamedly,” Cacopardo said.

“This is a result of political clientelism that has been practiced without any restraint since the setting up of Air Malta. Subsequent strategic plans failed because there had not been the political will for Air Malta to operate without political interference,” Cacopardo added.

Cacopardo said millions of euro in ‘aid’ had been squandered, which effectively financed the clientelism that led to Air Malta’s own downfall. “This is also applicable to the substantial amounts promised to those who opt for early retirement. These sums of money are daylight robbery of the taxes we all pay. It is a squandering of public funds to make good on electoral promises which cannot be honoured.”

Cacopardo said Air Malta’s state was the sheer testimony of this political clientelism that ruled Malta. “It is both the current Labour government and the Nationalist Party which are at fault too because the latter had the opportunity to fix the situation but instead opted to milk this ‘cow’ too.

“We have now become used to governments and politicians paying lip service to the principles of good governance, but then unashamedly practicing clientelism targeting vote buying. In this respect the term PLPN definitely applies because on these matters they agree wholeheartedly. PLPN are both responsible for bringing down Air Malta to its knees.”