Cabin crew decide to restrict in-flight service

E. Debono

Jun 2nd 2009, 09:26

Those of you who think that the cabin crew are doing all this for a pay rise really don't know what they are talking about.
Have a word with the crew and they will tell you they far prefer to remain as they are with the wage they have ,remembering how much they gave from their wage and their conditions already before, Than have a 5% wage rise and work with the conditions the company proposed to them.
Airmalta should better look at the amount of wasted wages in the Head Office section and the vast amount of employees in every office sitting playing solitaire staring at each other. Been there and seen it with my own eyes. Why is it always the crew that has to suffer!!! At the end of the day the crew go to their flight put smile on there face regardless of what is going on in their private lives and give a good service. I fly regularly with the Airline and I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

Robert Scullion

May 31st 2009, 11:21

@Galea. L Please explain what rights are they fighting for?
They already have a job, getting paid for it ... if the negotiations have taken 2 years so far, then it stands to reason that the cabin crew aren't fighting for health & safety issues (they would've stopped working straight away - and quite rightly). It can't be working hours as we already know from last months debacle (where it cost Air Malta €100,000) that they work less than the European maximum allowed
However if its simply because they want more money then either
(a) the original wage is so low they can't survive .. how have they coped in the last 2 years?
(b) the wage they receive is pretty decent and now are just demanding more money

If Air Malta is exploiting its workers then why haven't the pilots gone on strike, the ground crew, the backroom staff ...

Galea. L

May 31st 2009, 09:39

Robert Scullion
If the country you want is the present one where people like you side with those who threaten workers who are fighting for their rights and be a colony of the eu foreigners then its YOU who move.

As for the rest of your comments they do not merit an answer for anyone can see that you are living in another galaxy.

william staines

May 31st 2009, 00:36

I doubt if anyone will notice that there is a restricted service, flight crew generally seem jaded and bored and on the Heathrow service always spend the last hour in the back galley having their nosh. Last year I flew 30 times with AirMalta, this year I plan only 10 trips, I have found that the low cost carriers give much better value for money and their onboard staff are enthusiastic and always on hand to help. You pays your money and you take your choice, ultimately AirMalta staff will put themselves out of job.

steve elliott,uk

May 30th 2009, 21:12

I thought they were working to rule already

Andrew Harding

May 30th 2009, 20:20

Mr Scullion well done for telling the truth, if the cabin staff refuse to carry out there duties in full then they are in breach of contract, if they continue to work to rule then they should be subject to disciplinary procedures and eventually the sack, enough is enough ! marxists trade unions are a hinderance to progress and to a modern Europe and should be smashed at every opportunity, in the current financial situation these people should be gratefull to have a job not get bolshy about it. Viva Europa.

Robert Scullion

May 30th 2009, 20:11

@L.Gatt
Please do not misquote me .. I never called the cabin crew bland. I said the statement was bland.
Has the UCC announced what it wanted from Air Malta and what it was offered? It would be interesting to see what terms they turned down and what terms Air Malta refused.

L.Gatt

May 30th 2009, 20:00

@Scullion

Shame on you for calling cabin crew who are fighting for their working rights and u call them bland. Bland are those who are experts about everything and have nothing to do except to criticise each and everyone who fights for his rights and who is being paid by the general public.
AirMalta does not need experts like you , not even the cabin crew need you. Now that you have a choice you can always fly low cost and praise their cabin crew . Your hatred for the cabin crew comes out with every single article that you write.

Robert Scullion

May 30th 2009, 19:37

@Galea. L
Ah you are funny, I'm a worker as well
Perhaps you can explain what specific worker exploitation is happening at Air Malta?

It is evident from your posting that you don't understand the EU and how a free market works. The days of collective diktat on the way an economy should go are long gone. If thats the type of country you wish to live in then move to N.Korea .. even China has privatisations.

I don't see any workers being exploited ... decent enough health & safety laws exist (some even from the EU), minimum wages, free health service (which I agree with), decent education, free judiciary etc. Okay I accept that some areas could be improved (roads, environmental laws) ... however to continually spout nonsense that every worker in the country is doomed/downtrodden because of the EU or PN etc just goes to show that you don't have a grasp of the situation.
It is people like you who refuse to let Malta move forward, always critising anything if it comes from PN, praising anything from PL, give out/denegrate anyone that has a different opinion, well sorry its a democracy & free speech.

Karl Abela

May 30th 2009, 19:31

@ L Galea, Gatt

No, I wouldnt wait for years, I would just find a better as I have done in tha past. I am a worker and my salary depends on how many tourist airmalta brings to Malta. This union will create havoc to 60 000 families if they decide to paralyse the country. In any case, this country has always been plagued by people that share your political opinion who have nothing better to do other than trying to stop any form of progress under this government. It is a political vandalism that so many red blinded people keep doing over and over again...probably out of jealousy because the party they support has achieved NOTHING, NADA, NIENTE, NICHTS, RIEN......ZILCHHH!!!

With all due respect, if the employees dont feel comfortable where they work they can just lump it or go elsewhere. Collective agreements and all this trade union stuff is getting extinct especially since we now adopt EU regulations.

Robert Scullion

May 30th 2009, 18:58

@L.Gatt
To be fair iot doesn't actually say that. It only provides a statement released from the Union of Cabin Crew giving a bland 'members were willing to be more productive etc etc'
The reason for the breakdown hasn't been released.

Also last month didn't the same Union cost Air Malta over €100,000 ... nice way to be more productive and flexible

Galea. L

May 30th 2009, 18:23

Robert Scullion
Your hatred towards all workers and the freedom of Malta from eu colonialism is evident in all your postings Scullion.
That's why you want to privatize everything and kick out the workers because you are a firm believer in the eu's privatization policy and the exploitation of all workers.

L.Gatt

May 30th 2009, 17:34

@R.Scullion

I think you better read the article again as its the airline that is dragging its feet and not the union. The union is there to protect the worker's rights. How come the prime minister is not worried about the situation?
Go for it cabin crew. Do it. Its your legal right. They tried to throw mud at you last month after you obeyed the law. Hats off to this small union that keeps fighting for it's members rights. Mr Gonzi the alarm is ringing. Lots of unions are doing actions. Wake up before its too late.

Robert Scullion

May 30th 2009, 16:43

@Galea.L
You hatred of all business and tourists is evident by your postings.
2 years in discussion and still the union drags its feet.
What a way to show incoming tourists how great Malta is, when they can't even get a proper inflight service.
Sack them and privatise the airline ...

K Farrugia

May 30th 2009, 13:03

@I.Farrugia

My thoughts exactly. A strike for a government agency would be simply not turning up, working to rule is more a form of punishment to the workers

Galea.L

May 30th 2009, 12:24

S Calleja
Your hatred towards all workers is evidenced by your postings.

Karl Abela
Would you wait for years on end to have your collective agreement renewed because the management simply sweeps everything under the carper?
Or perhaps you are not a worker?

JULIAN GATT

May 30th 2009, 12:17

Another nail in the coffin of tourism!!!! What is this country coming to?? Really nuts in times of low tourism and world recession. A great first time impression of Malta for tourists asking for service on Air Malta. Just another step backwards towards being a fully fledged Banana Republic. It's bad enough tourists have to endure dilapidated infrastructure when they get here but to encounter it on the flight over is just plain stupid. Why can't common sense prevail and the two parties work it out? Who's the greedy one this time? Somebody is being stubborn and needs a swift kick in the behind to sort this out for the sake of us all. My business relies on toursists.

I.Farrugia

May 30th 2009, 11:24

what does work to rule actually mean? in most gov departments/entities I experienced if employees do follow the 'actual' rule they would be more productive/efficient than they are normally. Don't know......

Phil Humphries

May 30th 2009, 11:10

Just a suggestion, but isn't it time that Air Malta stopped serving meals to all its passengers and adopted a small menu service for those that actually want food and drink. EasyJet operates this system so I guess it must be more cost-effective.

Unless you have to travel at short notice it is now possible to obtain reasonably priced flights with Air Malta, but let's be honest, the impact of its cost savings are clearly obvious in its on-board services ( No criticism of the staff implied here ). With the exception of soft drinks and 'food', everything else that was previously provided free ( within the ticket price ) has now been withdrawn and the standard of food has deteriorated to such an extent that it can't be worth the cost and effort to produce, serve and throw away.

Otherwise, I think Malta has an airline to be proud of.

S Calleja

May 30th 2009, 11:03

Great. so not only is it a highly overpriced airline with mediocre food when available, but now IFE is to be reduced. why doesnt the goverment just shut the company down or privatise it and let another company do it - it's an absolute waste of taxpayer's money anyway

Karl Abela

May 30th 2009, 10:49

It is a very popular opinion that Malta's tourism woes in winter are a result of Air Malta's policies. Now that that the global tourism industry is suffering even in summer, is it so neccessary to put another spanner in the works?