Cabin crew union threatens delays
The Union of Cabin Crew warned Air Malta that unless tangible improvement is registered in the airline's pay offer for the cabin crew by tomorrow, it would order members to report for work two hours late on Saturday.
Consequently, all flights would be delayed by two hours.
The UCC also warned that this may not be a one-time action.
In a statement last night, a spokesman for Air Malta said that the airline is surprised at the statement which was issued a few hours after talks over the issue were held.
The spokesman said Air Malta is also surprised because it did not receive feedback from the UCC.
The spokesman said that the threat of industrial action comes at a time when other airlines have either reduced staff or have proposed to cut a month's salary because of the economic situation. But Air Malta had never proposed anything of the sort.
The spokesman added that the threat also comes at a time when Air Malta had invested heavily in an effort to increase tourism to Malta.
The UCC had already issued two directives in the beginning of this month: a work-to-rule and reduced on-board in-flight service to pressure the carrier to come to an agreement on the new contract.
It said the directives were intended to last until the company improved its initial financial proposal of a 10 per cent increase over a three-year period.
The union said the company failed to show signs of accepting the claim of 17 per cent over a four-year period and instead wanted to take the matter to an industrial tribunal. The company had now offered 17 per cent over a six-year period with no cost-of-living increases, the union added.
The union said it felt that proposed productive and flexibility measures were downplayed by the company in order to devalue past productive measures. Since 2003, the cabin crew complement on Air Malta flights was reduced by as much as 33 per cent on certain flights. A further reduction was being proposed by the union, taking into consideration the workload and the market competition the company was facing.
The union said that last Friday the management decided to leave the matter on hold until the next board of directors' meeting on Wednesday.
The union said it had asked whether the issue could be treated with more urgency and whether the board could be convened at an earlier date as it could not allow further feet-dragging tactics. However, there was no assurance from the management that this would materialise although further meetings were held between the union and the management.
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Jeremy J Camilleri
Jun 19th 2009, 11:15
Kevin Zammit
Your taxes have been paying fraudelent Vat workers, Minister's fuel guzzling Jaguars, Mp's hefty pay rises, Mepa employees taking wrong decision, the dockyard solution, in which you paid for workers to take home a lump sum of money, and yet, might be re employed with the dockyard itself, suicidal decisions taken by the Airmalta chairman in the 90,s( remeber the rj 70's) and the list goes on and on and on.
As for your suggestions to bring foreign workers to replace Maltese ones, whislt obviously giving away your true sentiments, and contradicting your, 'I am in favour of workers rights 'pose,well, just to let you know that the only hitch in your monumental theory is that, Maltese workers are amonst the least paid within the EU, so not much chance of success there. Of course, that did not stop certain Government owned companys from trying to do such a thing.
So I suggest getting your facts right.
m.anastasi
Jun 19th 2009, 08:55
Why bite the hand that feeds you?? They should be thinking about hanging on to their jobs mela asking for pay rises....they are only making a bad situation worse & if air Malta goes down ,they go down with it.
Kevin Zammit
Jun 19th 2009, 08:21
@Jeremy J Camilleri
I do not like to be called a stooge and if you think I'm willing to foot somebodies pay out of my taxes like we did with shipbuilding and all the other enterprises that were brought to the ground by inneficient and over confident employees then you are seriously mistaken. I am all in for protecting workers rights, but that were it should end. Rights do mean the right to extort either.
Let me put in another way: how much would it cost airmalta to bring replcement foreign workers and fire all the cabin crew?
In business all is fair and a business has the right to make money.
Kevin Zammit
Jun 19th 2009, 08:14
For all those that are supporting the Airmalta employees:
If the airline looses money you are the one who will foot the bill through your taxes. The foolishness of these directives by the UCC are the obvious result of a government job security mentality brought on by years on lack of accountability. We have all known for too long that airmalta was used under every government administration as some sort of social assistance and job source. The flight crew are very good and I have great respect for them but they need to understand that national airlines around the world are going through enormous pressure. The management here need to take some serious action and cannot held to ransom. We as tax payers cannot be held to ransom. We simply cannot afford it especially with a deficit breaking Euro rules. It just does not make sense which ever way you look at it.
Galea. L
Jun 18th 2009, 23:33
Francesca Abela
Yes Francesca, but for how long? Do you think that anyone would believe you that you waited for more than five years without demanding a pay rise?
Don't you think that management dragging its feet for more than five years is more than enough?
And why should we not refer to bad management who put AirMalta in a precarious situation through their arrogance and incompetence? Is it because they were appointed by a PN government?
Everywhere a management was appointed by the PN government they destroyed the company they were appointed to manage.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Jun 18th 2009, 17:50
Why is it that certain stooges try to imply that any worker who fights for his rights is attempting to hold the country at ransom?
Teachers, nurses, ST workers, doctors, health assistants, freeport workers.....They must all have a hidden agenda hux?
What are these geniuses implying?
The right for workers to unite and fight for their perceived rights is protected by law, live with it.
O galea, I hope that in these times of economic crisis, AIrmalta listens to experts like yourself.
Your excuse will surely cost Airmalta a hefty lawsuit.....Lets see them try.
j. mifsud
Jun 18th 2009, 14:49
Now they want to take action if they do not get a pay rise?????????????????????? Are they serious, any idea what conditions other airline employees are working under just to keep their company floating? Guess they are not seeing further then their nose! Hope Airmalta survives this world crisis and then we can talk about pay rises and about damaging the company's imagine by such directives!
Francesca Abela
Jun 18th 2009, 14:14
Galea L. Yes, yes, I would. As I did when the company I used to work with was in difficulties, I did not ask for more pay rises but waited until the situation got better. Also stop putting the blame on previous managements, we are talking about TODAY. No doubt mistake were made in the past and one must make sure more are not made again. Air Malta is being subsidised by government and this is from our taxes so do not anyone tell me it is none of my business because it is, since part of my taxes are being used to keep Air Malta going. I do agree however that collective agreements should not take so long to review after they expire, but I do blame the unions besides government who do not press that collective agreements should be dealt with as soon as possible after expiry. I have no more to say except that it is mostly the passengers who suffer when industrial action is taken and not the government itself. Of course, Malta's image suffers too.
o.galea
Jun 18th 2009, 10:56
so the cabin crew are holding airmalta to ransom for more pay at this crucial time in the season.... notwhithstanding the current economic climate as well as the ongoing price wars with other airlines
I have a suggestion for Airmalta
Correct me if i'm wrong but as far as I'm aware there are certain physical "standards" one has to have to form part of cabin crew.... i.e. One has to wear contact lenses.... be over a certain height... and one cannot be overweight.
Perhaps it's time airmalta enforces these regulations......
Galea. L
Jun 18th 2009, 10:35
Francesca Abela
They have been waiting for FIVE years Francesca. Would you wait this long if it was you?
Joseph Borg
You only take action when your opponent is not in his pest position to get the best effect from your actions. See my comment above.
What about those responsible for the millions of Liri losses made by choosing the wrong aircraft a few years ago notwithstanding all advise to the contrary? Did they ever pay AirMalta for the losses they had caused it?
A Azzopardi
Jun 18th 2009, 10:17
I would like to ask if other flights not with Air Malta that is with Emirates and Lufthansa, are they going to be affected as well?
Joseph Borg
Jun 18th 2009, 10:10
The action by the Union of the Cabin Crew is definitely ill-timed. When Malta is passing through very hard times in the tourism sector and with employees in airlines all over the world either losing their job or else accepting conditions that reduce their pay or conditions, it is absurd that this Union is taking actions that in the long run harm the very employees that it puports to defend. I am saying this without putting in doubt the sterling service which these employees give to their clients, but is the union really defending its members?
Mario Tabone-Vassallo
Jun 18th 2009, 09:42
Mnalla l-haddiem imhares mill-unjon, ghax kieku jisfa’ lsir. Izda nahseb li xi ftit ghaqal mehtieg, iktar u iktar meta naqra li mal-BA, kumpanija tal-ajru tas-sitt l-ikbar ekonomija fid-dinja, il-fuq minn 1000 impjegat accetta offerta ta’ btala ta’ xhar bla hlas jew xoghol partajm biex jitnaqqsu l-ispejjez. Qrajt fuq bosta kumpaniji ohra bi problemi bhal dawn u mhux nissuggerixxi l-istess. Gharaft kif jahdmu l-impjegati ta’ kumpanija lowkost. Izda mehtieg nifhmu li l-Air Malta, mhux tal-mexxejja jew ta’ l-impjegati biss, izda taghna lkoll u l-problemi jinhtieg jigu ndirizzati minna lkoll flimkien minghajr ezagerazzjoni minn ebda naha.
Francesca Abela
Jun 18th 2009, 09:09
Now is not the right time to strike for pay increases even though they were promised. Is it too much to ask Air Malta staff to make a sacrifice and stall their claims for pay rises, at least for one year until the current worldwide recession is hopefully over? We do appreciate the valid work of all Air Malta staff but they would go higher in our esteem if they put pay rises request on hold.