Tension as Air Malta workers mull future

The government will offer alternative employment to Air Malta staff who are made redundant, but only if the airline is left free to choose which employees are laid off.

In a meeting with the General Workers’ Union on Wednesday, the government made the offer on condition that employees give up the last in, first out clause in their collective agreement. The proposal was made to the GWU following a presentation during which the union was told that around half of the airline’s 1,200 workforce have to be shed for the company to be profitable.

In a statement which indirectly referred to the proposal to drop the last in, first out clause, the union warned it would not accept a situation where a gun was put to its head to force it to agree to conditions that were not in its members’ interests.

The union has now scheduled a meeting for Tuesday with its members to discuss this and other proposals made during discussions with the Air Malta management.

The scale of the redundancies was reported by The Times yesterday along with information that government department heads had been given instructions to identify positions that could be filled by redeployed Air Malta staff.

The Labour Party said the steering committee set up to oversee the airline’s restructuring was never given an indication that the workforce needed to be slashed by half, adding that crucial questions raised in the committee were left unanswered.

The government countered by saying the PL was aware that discussions must first be completed with the unions before any measures were discussed in the steering committee.

The finance ministry, which is responsible for Air Malta, also criticised the opposition for “riding on speculation in the media” to gain political mileage. However, it did not deny news about the scale of the redundancies.

The ministry also pledged to offer a number of solutions to ensure any decision on the airline’s employees would have “the least social impact possible”.

The Union Ħaddiema Maġħqu­din said it would convene the airline’s group committee on Monday to discuss the “persistent comments” being made about the future of workers.

The union will also be meeting finance ministry and senior Air Malta officials this week to discuss the proposals.

Staff members who spoke to The Sunday Times described the atmosphere at the airline as “very tense”.

“I’m shocked at the scale of the cuts in workforce,” one employee said, pointing out that there is a sense of “disillusionment among workers”.

The proposal about the last in, first out clause also reached the workers through the grapevine and has already caused a stir.

“It’s still unclear if the government will guarantee jobs for those laid off if we forfeit the last in, first out clause. I for one, will not forego that right if there aren’t safeguards,” another worker said.

There is also widespread scepticism among workers that the management’s criteria would be based on merit if they are given a free hand over who is laid off.

“It’s no secret that Air Malta has been filled with ‘blue-eyed boys’ by both parties. Will people keep their jobs on the basis of the company’s best interests, or the interest of the party in government?” one worker asked. However, a source close to negotiations pointed out that most of the people making these decisions would be foreign executives, not political appointees or managers close to any party.

“The last in, first out policy also militates against merit and would bind the airline’s management to keep some of the employees it most needs to shed,” he said.