Updated: GWU halts collective agreement talks with Air Malta

Rita Vassallo

Oct 15th 2009, 07:34

Perhaps it is true that the Government has never given any money to Airmalta not like the Drydocks, however Manoel Island (part of the Drydocks) was profitable but nobody cares to mention it. Why? Be careful GWU your duty is to see to the interest of the workers and not to make them lose their jobs!

R.Gauci

Oct 14th 2009, 22:55

Can all of you please which are mentioning situations that are happening abroad be credible and compare things like with like across the board, that is the wages people are getting in these companies(BA etc.) and by how much did the cost of living DECREASED during this last year of recession( in the UK for example) with how much it did in Malta??!!
Yes I agree that some sacrifices should be made and that any increase of wages in any sector should reflect more productivity but is this happening in the public sector for example where managers and CEO are paid thousands of euros in salaries and perks?? Are our Ministers and MPS being more productive since they got their huge increase last year??!! Thanks

Noel Abela

Oct 14th 2009, 22:50

Lorraine Vella Pls Note

Who said that BA employees are willing to cut on thier pay to help the company, just right now Sky News reported a dispute between the company and the unions over a proposed wage freeze. Why is it that whenever the GWU is in dispute everyone seems to assume that the union is in the wrong. Why is it the workers who always have to offer themselves as a sacrifice.

We have had enough. If Air Malta is in a bad state it is certainly not due to the lack of productivity of the workers. Have we all forgotten the RJ 70 mess. Who was accountable for such a shamefull decision. I wonder, I really wonder. And ar these same people still travelling for free when flying with AirMalta, just because they were on the board of directors?.

carmel pace

Oct 14th 2009, 19:45

Just a quick note to inform a few who might not remeber that all Air Malta employees from 4 unions agreed a wage cut/freeze a few yeras bac k giving the managment the opportunity to re organize and turn the company around. this lasted for three years

Joe Zammit

Oct 14th 2009, 19:23

I cannot understand why whenever the GWU is involved there is a number of knoledgable people out there ready to criticize the GWU as if a union does not have the right to defend the interests of its members. Also note that the last collective agreement between Airmalta and the GWU which including a salary increase was back in the year 2000 therefore who is trying to give the impression that GWU members have been given salary increases is extremely wrong and would do better to get correct facts first before making such statements
Also note that this is not an issue of productivity and flexibility as the members of GWU have already accepted that productivity and flexibility at work are key issues and infact have adopted different work practices for the past years, otherwise how would one explain the fact that Airmalta has about 300 employees less than 3 years ago with the same number of Aircrafts and more flights?! This matter was part of the Memorandum Of Understanding signed in 2004 where the GWU together with other unions agreed that there will be a moratorium (wage freeze) for a number of years.

Joe Borg

Oct 14th 2009, 19:00

Wow what a coincident. All this is happening on the eve when MLP ( & GWU) are calling the people to protest on 25 OCT 2009. I am 100% positive this is just a co-incident !!!

HeHeHe

Ray Mifsud

Oct 14th 2009, 18:39

Here we go again.

First a threatening strike last June By the Cabin Crew.

Now this. If the GWU cannot garuntee the same things in the private sector, it should not try to criple Air Malta. GWU give all the workers- at least the ones which you represent, the garuntee that we do not loose our jobs like you are doing at Air Malta. Than other union will follow in your footsteps.

At the end the traveller has to fork out on higher fares. And after this all in general in the tourist trade will criticise AM that they are not competitive. One has to decide what is best to keep our jobs.

Lets see what is happening abroad with other airlines and be reasonable in your demands. This for everyone sake.

Andrew Cumbo

Oct 14th 2009, 18:38

Guess what your comments will be if it was another Union with PL in government? If there were no managerial mistakes in the past Airmalta is not in today’s situation. Or you have forgotten Azzurra air and the RJ 70s? Those responsible for all this negligence’s sure don’t need of wage increase. And with all the daily cost of living increase, you pretend that workers keep suffering for all this carelessness, meanwhile same Minister responsible for Airmalta changes his car whenever he wants for the sake of all Maltese workers.
After all, why you are bringing comparisons with other companies? Prime Minister said that we have over ride the waves of the economic slowdown. Jew meta tridu u fejn jaqblilkhom tikwotaw lill Prim Ministru.

Michael Seychell

Oct 14th 2009, 18:21

Considering what is happening in other airlines overseas, is the GWU trying to make certain that Air Malta close down like what happened at Sea Malta and at the Drydocks.

Is Carachi who a Banker by profession, and who should know much better , letting Zarb and Mercieca to close down Air Malta as well?

Is this a game between the LP and the GWU - the first one said the Air Malta is to be privitised whilst Tony Zarb aided by Mercieca are doing their best to close down Air Malta, in order that the government will be pushed to put it on the market, and than Muscat shouts that his Party was right?

Let me remind Zarb that before him there were two general secretaries who were responsible for the loss of jobs when Verdala Hotel and Pheonicia Hotel both closed down and the workers were the only victims.

I urge Mr Carachi to stop his officials from repeating history. .

Michael Seychell
ex Section Secretary GWU

Jeremy J Camilleri

Oct 14th 2009, 18:18

The same song and dance everytime the GWU protects its members...how predictable....

The scenario here is simple, as long as the workers enturst the GWU the job of negotiaiting in their stead, then the GWU has the right to act in any legal way it deems fit.

If the way the GWU acts does not benefit their members, they have every right to resign and join a sweetheart union.

Very simple, and very democratic, but I guess democracy is just a buzz word for some folks here.

As for hard times faced by AIrmalta, perhaps more faith should be shown in our national airline by the people who count. Catching an Airmalta flight rather than buzzing around on private jets might do the trick.

Lino Attard

Oct 14th 2009, 18:08

Why is the GWU being blamed in all this ?
Are the people out there aware that other sections of the company (engineers, flight & cabin crew) have already reached agreement with Air Malta regarding their collective agreements and have all benefited from hefty pay rises & better working conditions ? Are the people aware that Air Malta staff have been on a wage freeze for about 5 yrs now ? The workers have surely done their part so it is about time they are rewarded for their sacrificed over the years.
Please do not compare Air Malta with the Drydocks because the government has never given Air Malta any money like it used to do with the Drydocks !!! When Air Malta was profitable year after year, no one used to say thank you and the extra money was reinvested for the benefit of the company & its workers

Stephen Grech

Oct 14th 2009, 18:06

Ah, here we go again. The usual bunch of people who don't know what's going on in AirMalta and at the end of the day in Malta too.
Let's place all the blame on GWU is the easiest thing to do my friends. May I ask each and every one of you what one would expect from a new collective agreement. Easy a wage inrease!!.
Funny to notice that with the worldwide situation prices are decreasing everywhere expect in Malta. May I ask who is to blame GWU?.

E. Vassallo

Oct 14th 2009, 17:58

Il-British Airways trid jew tnaqqas in-nies jew jaghmlu perijodu taz-zmien jahdmu ghal-xejn(IVA jaghmlu xhur ix-xoghol minghajr ma jaqalghu paga, morru u iccekjaw fuq l-internet) u tiffriza l-pagi.

X'jigifier l-union tindahal jekk il-kumpanija taghtiex outsourcing jew le??? Igri jitla l-labour halli naraw x'taghmel il-GWU!!! intom x'tahsbu li taghmel?

M Camilleri

Oct 14th 2009, 17:47

When then were similar economic difficulties during the early 80's,when the price of oil tripled in no time, no one wanted any sacrifices but why? because there was the MLP in government!!!
@MR Scerri were you in favour of the wage freeze during the 80's? when we had similar difficulties? i am sure NO is the answer.
the norm in this country is 4 years of sacrifies because of the deficit, because of the recession, and the last year before the elections money no problem, finanzi fis-sod,smart cities and whatever!!!

A. Zahra

Oct 14th 2009, 17:07

Has the GWU not heard of the problems that BA is facing? Has it not heard of the failure of Alitalia? Has it not heard of the difficulties of Lufthansa? Has it not heard of the global downturn in the tourist industry? So why does it keep on causing problems to Airmalta? Does it want the company to suspend or sack staff? The GWU will never change. Irresponsible it was and irresponsible it still is.

John Scerri

Oct 14th 2009, 17:02

qed Naraw minn vera jrid igib il-gid ghall-airmalta

zieda - iva
produttivita/flessibilita = Le

u dan fi zmiem fejn kulhadd (barra) qed iqaccat l-impjegati u jiffriza l-pagi

joseph scicluna

Oct 14th 2009, 16:58

attention gwu

Vauxhall workers have agreed a two-year pay freeze and large cost savings in a deal with the car firm's prospective new owners to save its two UK plants and about 5,500 jobs.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1220258/Vauxhall-workers-agree-year-pay-freeze-save-jobs.html#ixzz0TvEPo6RW

c.camilleri

Oct 14th 2009, 16:50

What shall we do? Cry or laugh. Private companies,locally and abroad, who are in the same financial difficulties as Air Malta have took austerity measures to safeguard to avoid collapse. These including compulsory retirement, working certain hours without pay, shorter weeks etc etc. Here the Unions representing the workers of Airmalta are asking better working conditions including rise in pay. (some have already got what they wanted). Is this not an abuse by these workers who are resting their minds that whatever happens the people's taxes will save up the company? It is about time that Govt will make these people aware that there is no privileged position amongst the Maltese workers.

Robert Caruana

Oct 14th 2009, 16:46

Two weights and two measures?

Why is the GWU refraining from negotiating early retirement schemes for employees at
ST Micro and leaving the employees to negotiate individually?

Lorraine Vella

Oct 14th 2009, 16:36

u ajma! any excuse is a good excuse for GWU. kemm ilhom li hadu zieda? kemm ha nibqghu nghasru kumpaniji? l-istess bhan nies tal-BA, li accettaw li jithallsu anqas sakemm l-istess kumpanija terga lura fuq saqajha! imma le, ahna rridu naghmlu kollox kontra! keep it up GWU. kompli isloh... imma importanti li taqbez ghall-haddiema kollha ta, u mhux fejn jaqbillek. Niftakru f'tad-drydocks, GO, etc etc...

DAVID ATTARD

Oct 14th 2009, 16:21

Can we have an inkling of the audited accounts for the company? Surely, a wage increase is justified with:
1) increased productivity
2) increased profit.
If not applicable in these two respects, who will foot the bill? Us MORONS who travel!