Refuelling service halted

Enemalta Corporation yesterday afternoon closed down its aircraft refuelling service at Malta International Airport after aviation consultants advised it that a General Workers' Union directive threatened aircraft safety procedures.

The decision is affecting all incoming and outgoing flights at MIA because Enemalta is so far the only fuel supplier there. "Incoming flights will have to refuel in other airports," a spokesman for the IT and Investments Ministry said yesterday, calling the union's action illegal.

On Monday, the GWU ordered workers to go on refuelling aircraft but not to "fill in Enemalta's papers", the spokesman said.

Last night the union denied that the action was a threat to safety or illegal, and said it was prepared to go to conciliation in the morning as long as the employees were allowed back to work.

Air Malta said the suspension of refuelling services will seriously affect its operations as incoming flights might be delayed due to the extra stop for refuelling on their way here.

The airline said that due to Enemalta's decision it was being forced to put into action "an extremely costly contingency plan". While all its inbound flights will have to take on a full load of fuel from overseas, outgoing flights will "possibly be making a refuelling stop on the way to their final destination".

The Investments Ministry spokesman insisted "filling in the papers" was not a simple formality but a "safety, record-keeping" procedure stipulated in international aviation rules. In addition, such documents were also used by the company to invoice clients.

"Not keeping records is primarily a threat to safety. The Enemalta board of directors has therefore asked the management to stop the refuelling service and to suspend the workers," the spokesman said.

After taking the decision at about 5 p.m. yesterday, Enemalta informed MIA, the Director of Civil Aviation and Air Malta that, because of the GWU directive, it would not refuel aircraft.

Flights due to land yesterday evening were being advised to make arrangements to refuel at other airports.

Enemalta employees on the night shift, meant to start at 9 p.m., were subsequently informed by the management not to report for work.

"The 60 employees working in the aviation section will be called by the management at the Marsa offices individually and asked if they are prepared to go back to work. Refuelling will resume as soon as there is the required staff, both in terms of numbers and the mix of skills," the ministry spokesman said.

The corporation will start calling in workers today. Those who refuse to sign a declaration that they will return to work will be sent home without pay.

Having informed the union that the action was "illegal", Enemalta said it would hold the GWU liable for damages sustained due to its action, not excluding the possibility of suing the union for expenses incurred.

The Investments Ministry spokesman said the directive at the aviation section related to a disagreement with the union over Enemalta's intention to assign refuellers according to need and not to have 14 workers on shift round the clock, 11 of whom are aviation crewmen.

"Out of 168 hours a week, it is only during an eight-hour period that Enemalta needs 11 aviation crewmen on duty at one go," the spokesman said, explaining that Enemalta wanted to change this unsustainable system in view of the market's liberalisation.

The spokesman said that by issuing the directive, the GWU had bypassed the industrial action procedures stipulated in the collective agreement which, among other things, lays down that the union should inform the management two days in advance before giving any directives.

He said the consequences of a refuelling stoppage "far outweighed" the issue of shifts and working hours.

When contacted last night, the union's chemicals, energy and printing section secretary, Gejtu Mercieca, said the GWU had been complaining for years about the reductions in the complements of workers and their non-replacement at different Enemalta sections.

"Enemalta is not considering the factors of tiredness and health and safety of the remaining workers," he said.

He said he had met Enemalta's vice-chairman and chief executive officer on the Monday before last and given them till last Friday to reply on the issue, failing which action would be taken. The collective agreement, he said, only required a two-day warning.

"The CEO wrote back asking for a list of points when he already had them and we had been discussing them for a long time," he said.

So consultation had taken place, he insisted. The action was completely legal, and it was Enemalta's own measure to shut out the workers that was illegal.

Asked about the threat to safety, he said the mere fact of not filling in the "chits" could not possibly create a danger.

"We have been very careful what actions to take," he said, referring also to the other directive issued to workers at Enemalta.

"The actions started on Monday. How is it that they are only taking these measures now? It is not true that it is unsafe not to fill in the chits. It is only a record to do with payment, not with safety. There are other methods of checking fuel.

"They are only doing it to turn public opinion against the GWU," he claimed.

"Enemalta has not asked to go to conciliation, but we are ready to do so in the morning and stop all the actions - on condition that the workers are allowed to return to work. We do not negotiate under threat."