General Workers Union accuses Air Malta of threatening employees

The General Workers Union has issued a condemnation of 'threats' against Air Malta employees by management, the union said in a statement following a stalemate in talks with the airline.

The GWU said Air Malta's public statement that talks had reached an impasse and that it would go directly to workers with its offer or start redundancies, amounted to pressure and threats of lay-offs.

"This is unacceptable," the GWU said. "We always made it clear throughout discussions that we were not ready to give the management a blank cheque on workers' conditions."

The GWU said the airline's decision to meet employees in the coming week before the union meets its members, "was not normal" and said it would seek an urgent meeting with finance minister Tonio Fenech.

The GWU will meet members next Monday, where employees will decide by secret ballot whether to accept the company's proposal on restructuring.

Many months of discussions between Air Malta management and unions have finally come to an impasse, the airline said in a statement.

Following a stalemate in talks with the General Workers Union, which represents the majority of airline employees, and the Union of Cabin Crew,

The airline said it had negotiated with the GWU and the union of cabin crew "in good faith" for months but had not been able to conclude an agreement on a package of measures to support the airline's restructuring.

"We have put a lot of effort into getting fair and reasonable payout schemes for staff so they can be properly compensated for their loss of employment - the offers we have proposed are generous and treat people fairly," CEO Peter Davies said. "In return, we have requested improved work practices and efficiencies such as rosters that support our flight schedule. Everyone needs to understand that we are in the service industry. Our customers expect that and we must fly at their convenience, not ours."

Air Malta said that if the packages being offered are not accepted by employees through their unions, then there would be no option but to withdraw these packages and the necessary headcount reduction would have to be achieved, by following the statutory redundancy procedures and payments.

"We don't want to go down this path, we really don't, but we have no other option," Davies said in a statement. "We have to implement the restructuring measures to turn the airline around and we cannot afford to delay matters any longer."

The airline indicated that some of the issues that could not be agreed upon demonstrated that some people have not yet realised the dire state the airline is in and that it must change to survive.

The airline highlighted that the changes in rostering, reduced staffing levels, new duties and responsibilities and the cost saving measures included in the proposed agreements with the unions need to be implemented. "Employees need to understand that a 'no vote' will force the company to take alternative measures to turn the airline's performance around," Davies said.