Air Malta turns down early retirement scheme extension

A request by the General Workers' Union to extend the closing date of Air Malta's voluntary redundancy schemes was yesterday turned down by the airline's management.

In a letter leaked to The Times, the airline's CEO Joe Cappello tells the union's secretary general Tony Zarb that the company has been in talks about the matter since 2004 and that, therefore, the company does not feel the closing date should be extended.

Recently the union issued a statement claiming Air Malta employees were being pressured to take up early retirement schemes.

The government denied these claims categorically.

Yesterday, the union's daily l-orizzont carried a front page story saying the union had asked for an extension of the closing date for the scheme.

Mr Cappello replied immediately to the union turning down the request. The concept of the voluntary redundancy scheme was discussed back in 2004 between Air Malta and four unions representing the workers.

Since then the management has met with the unions every two months, even though the agreement stipulates a meeting every six, the letter said.

During these meetings the unions were given detailed presentations and explanations of the company's management accounts.

The scheme was launched on May 15 and was open for four months.

The letter added that the current position does not mean a future scheme is excluded but all depends on the situation of the company.

Workers were said to have complained during a union meeting that they did not have enough information about the scheme.