150 Air Malta staff for voluntary redundancy

Some 150 Air Malta employees have applied for the voluntary redundancy scheme offered by the airline as part of its rescue plan, sources said yesterday.

Industry sources said the number was more or less in line with what was expected, but considering the increase in the price of fuel the national airline has to bear, the number was still not enough.

"The problem with Air Malta is that most of the work is seasonal, but one cannot keep workers in summer and send them home in winter," the sources said.

The airline's management recently turned down a request by the General Workers' Union to extend the closing date of the scheme.

The union has claimed Air Malta employees were being pressured to take up early retirement, but the government categorically denied the claim.

Air Malta CEO Joe Cappello had in fact argued against extending the time frame of the scheme as the concept was discussed back in 2004 between Air Malta and the four unions representing the workers.

The management had met with the unions regularly and gave them detailed presentations and explanations of the company's management accounts.

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