‘I will not back down one inch’, says Clyde Caruana about KM Malta Airlines dispute

Finance Minister Clyde Caruana was firm on his stance in the Airline Pilots Association Malta (ALPA) dispute, stating he will not budge. 

The ALPA enacted industrial actions after disagreements between the union and the airline over their members’ safety and well-being, including on how a pilot can lose their licence as a disciplinary action.

Caruana even threatened legal action against the union, saying that they had reached an agreement two years ago and he would not be extorted. According to him, the problem is not a staffing problem but rather over the golden cheque scheme. 

READ ALSO | KM Airlines will launch legal dispute against pilots’ union over industrial action

He explained that there are certain employees that are eligible for this sum, which is given to them over a timetable of four years. Once the four years are over, the employee leaves and can no longer be re-engaged with the airline or the government. Now, he said, they are trying to extend these four years so first officers get more time and experience to reach the rank of captain whilst they earn a salary and have a guaranteed golden cheque. 

The issue hasn’t been taken to court yet, but the process of doing so has commenced. Caruana emphasised that this situation is unfair to the taxpayers who have paid millions and are faced with stubbornness. 

Caruana spoke about the new national airline, explaining that the company needs to generate profits, and must be partly privatised after three years. The minister broke down the figures, saying that almost €500 million in total were spent during the founding of KM Malta. He said that from the previous 1,000 employees, only 420 remained, just enough to operate 17 return routes and eight planes.

“Our national airline can not compete in other destinations,” Caruana stated, shutting down rumours of expansion beyond the airline’s current routes. 

When asked about the next budget, Caruana commented that last year’s budget had a substantial tax cut even if it wasn’t the budget before the election and that he will continue working to make the next budget “just as good or better” whilst decreasing the deficit.