GWU, Air Malta lock horns

The General Workers' Union has registered an industrial dispute with Air Malta over what it termed were abuses by the management on substitution pay and the filling of vacancies.

The agreement between its maritime and aviation section and the national airline maintains, the union said, that in the case of workers who have been doing substitution jobs in a higher grade for a year or more, the company had to immediately give them a promotion in conformity with the collective agreement.

The agreement was being abused in the sense that those who were doing this type of work were being stopped for a short period - sometimes even for a day - to interrupt the year, denying employees their promotion, the GWU claimed.

It condemned the fact that the management was also incurring bigger expenses by getting other workers in on overtime on the days when the employees in question were stopped from doing their substitution work. The situation was not acceptable, the GWU added, and it was demanding that the company give them the deserved grade with immediate effect.

The GWU would be taking the necessary steps, including industrial action, to defend its members from this discrimination, it warned.

On its part, Air Malta explained that, during the last four years, it has filled vacant posts that arose within the company through a call for applications, which is first issued internally.

"This policy ensures better corporate governance, giving all employees a level playing field, increased job mobility within the organisation and the enhancing of skills and experience when filling up vacant posts."

The airline feels that the practice of direct promotion via a period of substitution to a higher grade is inherently "unjust" and it does not want to follow it. "Unfortunately, the GWU appears to favour such a practice," Air Malta said.