Striking Air Malta cabin crew could face dismissal

Robert Scullion

Apr 26th 2009, 19:03

@GaleaL
They wouldn't be breaking any law. Under an EU regulation they could work 11 hours with 2 extra, bringing up to 13 hours. This flight would've have been within the 13 hour limit and the Captain even said the 3 mins would have been made up in-flight. Doesn't that sound resonable to you?
You should be explaining how Air Malta will find the €109,000 to fund the compensation to the passengers affected?

Also yes, I have worked 13 hours before. I have also worked my normal work hours as well. But I know that when a problem arises I ensure that my job is carried out to the fullest of my abilities and that other people aren't affected. Its called being responsible for ones actions .. something these 5 staff members don't seem to understand.

GaleaL

Apr 26th 2009, 18:52

Robert Scullion
Do you work 13 hours at a stretch and continue to be alert?
Do you think that the cabin crew are simply sitting down on a sofa or have the safety of the aircraft and the passengers on their shoulders.
NO scullion, the is the law and all those are idiotically attacking the crew do not know what they are writing about.
How many of you have received a ticket for just going over the speed limit?
You exceeded the limit and you got the ticket.
The aircraft crew would have exceeded their time limit and did the correct thing to abide by the law and regulations.
What you should be attacking are not the crew, but the incompetent management for not having stand by crews to take over wherever they are needed.

M. Camilleri

Apr 26th 2009, 18:39

Can the readers know the TRUE facts from BOTH sides before they write such distasteful comments about cabin crew? Xi hdura!!!

Robert Scullion

Apr 26th 2009, 18:13

@GaleaL

What incompetent management?
If the management was incompetent, then Air Malta wouldn't be as succesful as it is. Why do you also assume the employee is right, why do you show hatred for anyone that tries to make a business succesful?
Where do you think the €109,000 that Air Malta now has to pay to compensate the passengers will come from:
* Higher prices to passengers, perhaps
* Cut backs in staff, perhaps
* Less investment .. reducing routes means less staff, perhaps
* Subsidy by the Government .. ie taxpayers money, perhaps

Why don't you think about the image that this delay and the subsequent delays to other flights has on Malta? Why should tourists come to Malta if they think a flight could be delayed by 16 hours, for the sake of 3mins. How much will that cost the country in the long run .. all for 3 minutes that could easily have been made up mid-flight?

You should reflect on that rather than your hatred of business, private enterprise etc.

M. Borg

Apr 26th 2009, 18:01

In view of all that has been said and documented by readers, am I correct in concluding that these Air Malta cabin crew risk dismissal due to the fact that they obeyed their union's directives? I would rather know all the actual chronological facts that led to this incident before commenting on their actions. I am sure no union would order its members to take such an action unless there is a valid reason, and so far all the readers have done was criticise the cabin crew's action without asking what led to the union's directive. It is a deplorable state; when one realises that we are arriving at a point where a union's power is belittled in this manner, by having its members threatened with dismissal!
Furthermore, I must say it is positive to read that the chairman stated that the airline wants to safeguard its interest and those of its employees. Yet I ask, is ‘fighting tooth and nail’ with your own tools the way to do this?
I suspect that this incident is being blown out of proportion. I question some reported facts and doubt that all there is to it has been reported to the public.

Robert Scullion

Apr 26th 2009, 17:57

@Shirley Sammut
They weren't following the law, they where following a union directive. Under EU regulations, they can fly for 11 hours with an extra 2 hours on top of that. With allowing for the 3 mins they would have still been within this time. Also the Captain (as stated in the article) agreed to make up for the time so overall the staff wouldn't have been over.
This is just causing mischief for the sake of it. No safety was involved since the Captain is responsible for his craft and he was willing to go ahead. Maybe the staff should think of the €109,000 Air Malta now has to find to compensate everyone rather than themselves.

Shirley Sammut

Apr 26th 2009, 17:24

@Mr Cauchi & Mr Woods
The union directive not to give the 2nd hour has been in place for many weeks now, it wasn't given because of this delay. It has been in practice well before the Moscow flight was changed back to night operation for this month.....in fact it had been operated during the day all winter without any problems whatsoever!!!

@Mr Scullion
Air Malta already employs a good number of people to see to the day to day flights & it is not the first time these same people have kept employees at home through a phone call because of a delay. Nevertheless sometimes delays crop up when the the crew has already reported for duty or when they are away from Malta so that is where the Flight Time Limitations come into use

In this case, the cabin crew were in the right because they were following the law. A line has to be drawn somewhere and adhered to - we cannot change laws according to our whims!!!

Get all the facts from BOTH sides before trying to make a valid & intelligent comment!!!

Ramon Casha

Apr 26th 2009, 16:38

I'm in two minds about this one. Those rules are there for a reason, and if they can be broken for 3 minutes, what about 6 minutes? What about half an hour? What about an hour?
Air Malta of course knows about this restriction, and should be aware that when their flight crews have been flying for very close to their maximum allowed time, a delay might cause such problems - in which case they could either plan their routes so that they are not so close to the limit, or ensure that other crews are available to take over if and when they occur.

c.camilleri

Apr 26th 2009, 15:58

If Malta's employees are inconsiderate of the problems facing the Company because of world financial crunch then Air Malta should do as other Airlines do. No money will come from the Govt to save the jobs of those who bring problems on themselves.

isammut

Apr 26th 2009, 15:36

All this fuss is for 3 minutes! While Cabin crew deserve good conditions, no action could be justified for just 3 minutes! Shame! Well done Air Malta Chairman!

G.Schembri

Apr 26th 2009, 15:20

So Cabin crew are expected to work a full 12 hours. To any other employee this would mean 4 hours overtime. Passengers pay to get good service, does Mr Zammit expect cabin crew to give service with a smile after 11 hours work. Why couldn't Air Malta inform the cabin crew, there was going to be a delay? You don't need a full time clerk to phone three persons to inform them of a flight delay. If Air Malta wants to give its customers good service it should treat its staff better. Disgruntled staff cannot give good service.
I wonder what Mr Zammit would say if he was treated in the same way. A good manager keeps his employees happy, he should be ashamed of causing all this to save a couple of cents in telephone calls.

vincent a galea

Apr 26th 2009, 14:51

Is it really 3 mins we are talking about here?

Whats the matter? Are we all going mad?

I blame all this on the tension being created all around us and that we are all being subjected to!! Yes, speed cameras, wardens, announcements to pay VAT returns, income tax, too much severity all round... Even faces of policemen, wardens, ADT inspectors, etc roaming the streets, all project aggressiveness as if wanting to strike fear everywhere.... !!!

HARRASSMENTS, HARRASSMENTS, HARRASMENTS.......

We are being turned into a nation of zombies not knowing what we are doing!

FOR THE SAKE OF GOD...... GIVE US A BREAK AND ASSIST PEOPLE NOT TO REACT IRRATIONALY AS WHAT IS GLARINGLY HAPPENING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T Bonello

Apr 26th 2009, 14:35

So it is NOT an EU or air authority directive like some people tried to say in the comments sections below the previous article - it was just a union directive. ONLY IN MALTA!

Joseph E Briffa

Apr 26th 2009, 14:34

If some of the cabin staff are unhappy with their conditions they can go to work with any airline in the EU states..they are EU citizens and have a right to seek jobs all over the 27 EU states. If they want to strike because of the dismissal of the five culprits they are free to do so.. Air Malta would then hold them financially responsible for all the loss of business and all the damage caused. In any case if they strike they will forfeit their pay. Air Malta should also see how to start getting rid of the extra staff and be more firm with the dead wood.

S. Barbu

Apr 26th 2009, 14:29

The cabin crew involved should be ashamed of themselves, Just a week before Mr zammit was saying how finally the airline was getting back on it's feet and than they do something like this?

I really hope they get sacked. I'm sure there are a lot more people out there who are willing to take the job of an over paid waiter/waitress.

David Reiling

Apr 26th 2009, 14:25

dont people read these articles - the cabin crew are not in the wrong here - the law is quite clear - they had already given a concession of an hour - passenger safety must always come first .......money and goodwill will not satisfy people / families who lose their lives in an air crash caused by weary crew.

Keep on truckin cabin crew and good luck to you.

R Pace Bonello

Apr 26th 2009, 14:12

I do not agree that the employees involved in this dispute should be dismissed - provided they followed their union's directive. On the other hand, if the Union action was illegal, then the Union should be sued and charged for damages.

GaleaL

Apr 26th 2009, 13:43

Why doesn't Lawrence Zammit discharge himself and shoulder the responsibility of mismanagement in that AirMAlta should have standby crews for such cases? This shows strong management incompetence for which he as the chairman should shoulder responsibility for and discharge himself forthwith.

Robert Scullion Why is it that you always show your hatred for workers and never for the incompetent management scullion? How would you react if your employer continuously degraded your working conditions?

Joseph Abdilla

Apr 26th 2009, 13:38

The captain of the aircraft could easily have cut the flying time by many minutes. It is reported that he has offered this to the cabin crew and of course to the passengers. If, again as reported this was refused by the cabin crew, to the inconvenience of the passengers (who inderectly pay for their wages) does, in my judgement warrant dissmisal. Cabin crew ought to have some pride in their work, and their job is to look after the welfare of the passengers. If they they are so willingly ready to act so selfishly and irresponsible they do not deserve such a position and ought to be sacked.

Louis Borg

Apr 26th 2009, 13:24

I don't think that employees should seek such actions, in these difficult times, on such a small issue. Although employees rights should be safeguarded, they should have waited for a better reason to seek action. I assure every employee, that public opinion is not in their favour.

R. Chetcuti

Apr 26th 2009, 13:06

How can Mr. Sargent be so cheeky in such situations?.. Doesn't he know the Maltese saying of "tahraqx l'id li trid tiekol minnha?"

Sometimes I wonder whether such people ever listen to what they would even be saying!! Come on Mr. Sargent how can statements such as this "they would have just reported for work 18 minutes later" be justified? Would it have made that much of a difference to report to work 18 minutes earlier?? Ahh yes they must have skipped breakfast to make the flight!! Come on let's be serious!!!

dennis azzopardi

Apr 26th 2009, 12:19

I am glad that air malta chairman will` fight tooth and nail to safe gaurd the interest of the company and its employees.`After all the cabin crew ARE employees of airmalta and like the chairman they too have the best interest of the company at heart as well as their own,like any body else.
Conrfontation and washing of dirty linen in public has never been the answer.
Let common sense prevail and get this issue over with for the good of all.

Ray Woods

Apr 26th 2009, 12:10

Another Union announces a suicide pact on behalf of its members. The other airlines must be rubbing their hands with glee.

Robert Scullion

Apr 26th 2009, 11:53

Does Mr Sargent expect AirMalta to now employ someone in an office to phone staff, whenever a plane is late, to ask them to not come in for a few minutes?
Get real. Sack the 5 staff for costing the company over €100,000 and losing the airline a lot of goodwill among passengers.

Joseph Cauchi

Apr 26th 2009, 11:30

.

Is it time for nit-picking?

Don’t we know what’s happening around us?

All this doom and gloom, with a global recession affecting every body.

A union orders industrial action for exceeding the time limit just by a mere 3 minutes is unacceptable, when according to EU regulations the time exceeded can be by another 60 minutes in this case. Therefore there was another 57 minutes to spare!

Does not the union and the cabin staff have any respect for their clients, for all the inconveniences they caused them by this irresponsible delay?

It is the client that pays for the air-ticket; and therefore it is the client that provides the monthly pay-cheque for these people.

We are in the 21st. Century and not in the 20th. Century!

Please come down to Earth and feel the ground!

I hope Air Malta will stand firm on this one!


../..