Updated: Pilots' strike will put company, its workforce and jobs of thousands of others at risk - MHRA
Adds statement by Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry
A strike by Air Malta pilots will put the company, the airline's entire workforce and the employment of thousands in the tourism industry at risk, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association said.
In a statement this morning, the MHRA said it was extremely concerned about the threat of industrial action by the Association of the Air Malta Pilots as this could have devastating results during what is considered to be a peak period for the tourism industry.
"The threat itself creates uncertainty amongst potential customers, who will think twice before booking with Air Malta."
The MHRA said:
"Industrial action in the prevailing circumstances carries a huge responsibility and as such should not be taken lightly.
"The MHRA appeals to ALPA to reconsider its position and to pursue its claims through constructive discussions."
The association said the Air Malta process had now reached a very important juncture which called for all stakeholders to work collectively with the government in an effort to place Air the airline on a solid footing, even though the government kept most of the stakeholders in the dark about the restructuring process.
"A lot has been said about Air Malta's current state of affairs and blame goes to the politicians who over the years interfered and took decisions for Air Malta where and when they shouldn't and did not when they should have.
"Ultimately Government will have to shoulder the responsibility for Air Malta. That Air Malta is in the state it is in today is also due to other compounding factors. But we cannot undo the past and we now need to look forward."
The MHRA said that given the strategic importance of Air Malta to tourism, the airline had to, not just survive, but also maintain seat capacity at levels similar to those it registered to date.
"We also need to ensure that parallel efforts are in place to at least retain the overall seat capacity needed to sustain the industry.
"Short of this, tourism will shrink, hotels will be constrained to cut back and others to close down, and so will other businesses that depend on this industry, whilst jobs will be lost."
The MHRA said that millions of euros of investment were at risk, and more millions of euros in taxes and VAT would be lost by the government if there was a downturn in tourism.
"One cannot underestimate the impact that a downturn will have on the whole nation's finances.
"The stakes are very high, and we need to work together to see how best we can put Air Malta back on its feet in the shortest time possible," the MHRA said.
CHAMBER SHARES MHRA'S CONCERN
The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry said it shared the MHRA’s grave concern regarding the possible devastating effects of the irresponsible industrial action.
“It is most unfortunate that, throughout the years, political motivation has often prevailed over economic logic in the running of Air Malta.
“This resulted in accumulated losses that have brought the airline to an unsustainable point.
“Whilst ALPA is justified in pointing this out, it is being most irresponsible by threatening a strike that will paralyse access in and out of the country and at the height of the tourism season.
“This could place hundreds of jobs at risk throughout the entire economy - in sectors which are intrinsically linked to tourism.
“Further jobs could be lost in manufacturing, retail and financial intermediation - not to mention tourism and the airline itself,” the Chamber said.
It said that ALPA’s declared action was ill-timed and disproportionate.
“Therefore, it is deemed most irresponsible because the risks it poses on the entire country are far too large.
“Air Malta’s pilots must defend their position but act in a manner that allows the airline to survive. They must not be short-sighted and resort to the negotiating table in an effort to unblock the situation through reason rather than destruction,” the Chamber said.
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T Mifsud
Jul 7th 2011, 12:26
@MHRA and Chamber of Commerce
Who is shortsighted the pilots or you?
All you want to do is survive the airline for summer, while the pilots want the airline to survive and grow.
What do you do if you have a puncture in your car? Do you patch it up, keep on going to pump air in it with the hope it performs? YOU HAVE TO STOP AND CHANGE THE WHEEL! No other option.
The government needs to address the MIA Millions, the level playing field and the bleeding vein bleeding money on certain contracts.
Tony Tinsley
Jul 6th 2011, 20:16
By striking the pilots will get nowhere - they will be pushing Airmalta towards bankrupcy and digging their own graves as well as those of the rest of Airmalta's employees. The tourist industry as well as the jobs of thousands in some way or another connected will be at risk.
Lino Busuttil
Jul 6th 2011, 23:12
you are just repeating the Miniter statements Don't you have any grasp of the situation, such as the fact that Air Malta is ALREADY BANKRUPT? Even the Minister knows that if they go ahead with any plan without changing all the contracts, even if they get rid of all the pilots and workers they will still be bankrupt, may be only just stay afloat till an early election, with directors at MIA and at other companies milking Air Malta till its last breath. This is UNACCEPTABLE not only for ALPA but for any citizen that is still got some decency of putting politics behind proper analisys! The time is now not tomorrow , since noone had the decency to stop the abuse. CANCEL ALL CONTRACTS AND RENEGOTIATE NEW ONES NOW! Choose between Tourism with a long term viable airline and between STATUS QUO and sustaining unscrupulous fat leeches who are never satisfied.
John Chubbs
Jul 6th 2011, 20:09
i have been following this saga unfold during these past months. How sad.
Air Malta is owned by the government of Malta, on behalf of the Maltese people. They have the right to run and mange the airline as they deem fit and in the best national interest. However the government or it's appointed board of governance are accountable for their actions. However, history repeats itself and at the end of the day, firing people is always the easiest way out.
Cost cutting can indeed be a very dangerous game as one should know exactly where to start and where to end. Thousands have been paid to consultants and at the end they have all stated very little. Great effort has been spent on staff reductions, but where will AM be in 5 or 10 years time? From what I can see, a serous business plan has never been prepared. Public money is being spent on restructuring teams, with only short term goals in mind.
Is ALPA right in it's claims? Except for MIA, it seems that nobody is claiming otherwise. MIA claims that their fees are comparable if not favourable to other airports. However, the other airports mentioned have competitors in their region and only a few hundred KM's far whilst MIA is the country's sole gateway to the outside world with AM being their number 1 client. Should AM shoulder the burden in order to make up for the discrepancies?
I think it's a first for a trade union to order a strike not for a pay hike or better conditions but for a revision of signed and unaccountable contracts. AM being the only airline in the country means that it's pilots have to seek greener pastures abroad not by choice in order to earn a better salary but because they have no choice. Their union have every right to defend it's members right of staying put especially in light of all the above. And finding suitable and qualified pilots is no easy task especially with the boom ahead.
I hope that AM gets it's priorities right and then tackle staff reductions
Ms G Schembri
Jul 6th 2011, 18:38
Tehorbhe Chamber of commerce and MHRA should be supporting Air Malta employees, they did not comment when the Air Malta management were taking the wrong decisions and throwing money down the drain. They did not comment on the money being paid to MIA, while other airlines are not only paying less, but being subsidized by the government. Low cost airlines are getting more than 20 euro for each passenger, and are paying MIA a pittance, while Air Malta gets no subsidies, has to pay MIA a large amount of money and instead of using Airmalta employees it is outsourcing certain work. I wonder who is gaining with all this. If an Air Malta Strike will jeopardize all these jobs how many jobs would the closedown of Air Malta put at risk, considering that low cost airlines would close down any route that is not giving them a profit.
Adrian Gouder
Jul 6th 2011, 18:28
It is well known that the contracts at Air Malta must be reviewed, or morelike, should have been reviewed ages ago, and still, they remain, draining the company on a daily basis, and nothing is done about it. So, yes, I agree with the pilots in this case. Air Malta staff have been making plently of sacrifices that were 'promised have worked' but didn't. Now it's time for the government to stop picking on employees and employ a little more brain, effort, and honesty to the problem.
To the pilots I say, do what you need to do to force a change in this farsical, if not so tragic, situation. Enough is enough.
Alfred Farrugia
Jul 6th 2011, 17:10
How many MHRA members and how many members of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry are prepared to offer alternative employment to the pilots? If they can come up with enough appropriate positions, the problem could be solved.
Mr Anton Agius
Jul 6th 2011, 16:56
I fully support the pilot's strike! secondly, i have to say that MIA is partly to blame for enemalta's woes and i fully support ALPA's stand in favour of the full liberalisation of terminal operations. Things being what they are now MIA has a monopoly over terminal operations .... monoplies ALWAYS distort the market and the consumer ends up having to bear the brunt of the distortion. LIBERALISE THE SECTOR ...... and let the rules of free market prevail!
C Gauci
Jul 6th 2011, 16:21
Are they asking for a wage increase? ... NO
Are they asking for better conditions? ... NO
Are they asking to have a crystal clear, and fair restructuring before any redundancies are taken? .. YES
So why all the hate against the pilots? They are doing everything within the frame of the law, and they are doing it because they want to see the company prosper, and not falter.
It's amazing how quickly everyone forgot the Libya flights.
Mark Cams
Jul 6th 2011, 17:17
I though that there was a restructuring plan which was sent to the EU.and that thelaoffs are part of it. Maybe I was mistaken.
Are they asking for the airline to maintian their jobs even if this will be detrimental to the airline's survival?
i hope that no one is hating the pilots nor the other employees for protecting their jobs. But we need to be realsitic and accept fact that drastic action needs to be taken now before its too late. We are being told taht laying off workers is one of the painful measures which have to be taken before the whole airline is lost and a greater number of jobs both within the airline and the tourism industry are put at risk.
Of course its very easy for me and others who do not work at Air Malta to be patriotic and cool headed but I ask again what are the long term viable alternatives?
What's has been done is now done and cannot be changed. Hopefully the peoiple who were responsible are not in a position to do harm again.
Stephen Grech
Jul 6th 2011, 19:38
What's has been done is now done and cannot be changed. Hopefully the people who were responsible are not in a position to do harm again.
Well done, great argument!!!.
Dear M Cams,
Who screwed our airline, the top people responsible for this fiasco got alternate high positions (of course) by their previous employer ie Dr Tonio Fenech. That's called ACCOUNTABILITY or what?
Yet KM is still forking out Millions for the contracts they signed.
Why weren't these addressed in 2004. BTW we are in 2011 and in deep s...t.
Great, now blame it on the pilots who want this situation rectified immediately.
Mark Cams
Jul 6th 2011, 15:47
yes it is probably a mixture of mis-managment, and political inteference over a long number of years and someone has to take responsibility BUT the point is that to solve this situation we have look forward and not look back and try to put the blame on someone. This will achieve nothing. On the contrrary it will reap more trouble on teh airline.
One can understand the anger and frustration of the air malta employees.. I would most pobably raect the way they are reacting if I was an Air Malta employee.
However, striking and demanding that the jobs are permanently secured is not the solution.
A long term solution needs to be found and unfortunately this seems to include laying off people unless there is a viable and sustainable alternative.
Is there a viable alternative? If not then the government , Unions should together work towards making this as painless as possible to the employees. and ensure that they can find alterantive employment through re-training etc.. Admiitdly this is not easy especially in today's situation. The private sector should also assist e.g. those with bank loans shoudl be given a 1 or 2 year moratorium.
Too much is at stake so lets hope those who can help and have the power to help can keep a cool head and stir the country out of this mess.
Ms G Schembri
Jul 7th 2011, 03:05
The employees should not pay for the bad decisions made by persons, who are now enjoying the fruit of their mistakes. At least these people should be held accountable and pay for their mistakes, even by given back what they took from AirMalta.
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Jul 6th 2011, 15:29
Tinkwetax, issa insibu iz-zejt qabel l-elezzjoni u insiru it-tieni Dubai kulhadd sinjur.
Roderick Mizzi
Jul 6th 2011, 15:22
MHRA should join AirMalta and not stand againt it. The employees there deserve better than this. May I also remind the people posting comments against AirMalta, that these people accepted to have their wages cut off few years ago as they wanted to help the company to get back as it used to be.
Who is responsable for what happened in AirMalta? Is it always the employees? I am currently in the UK (Southampton) and I am very impressed with the workers here. They are united, the garbage men held a strike for a few days but it seemed that no one will care about what they had to say, few days after workers from the dockyards joined them to fight their cause.
We should Unite with AirMalta employees and help them, there are workers just like us. If we were in their position we would want the people to help us and not join forces against us. Workers should always UNITE at least if we want to keep our rights as workers...
Mr B. Fenech
Jul 6th 2011, 15:50
& in doing so, we will also take down the countries improvements with it?? Are you mad?? the company has too many employees, people have to go. It isn't by choice, its by force.
Mr Joseph Agius
Jul 6th 2011, 15:15
I planned my two post-July flights with Air Malta because I felt proud of our airline during their recent humanitarian missions in Libya. Now I am planning for flights during October and November and doing my best to avoid the airline!
Mr twanny borg
Jul 6th 2011, 15:14
hadd m'ghandu jhallas mit-taxxi tieghu ghal dawn il-kwantita kbira ta' piloti biex itajru 10 ajruplani. dawn qed jippretendu li jiebqu jpappuha minn fuq il-poplu. meta haddiem taghlaq il-fabrika imur jirregistra u hekk ghandhom jaghmlu dawn.
Mr Patrick Zammit
Jul 6th 2011, 15:10
Do the MCCEI and the MHRA see nothing wrong with Air Malta playing to the tune of the MIA which got an airport which was built with tax payers money in the first place?
If you really wanted to help Air Malta, you would have protested against the introduction of LC airlines as well.
Kulhadd imexmex min fuq l-Air Malta, hekk sew.
Joe Abela
Jul 6th 2011, 14:42
all the mayhem caused by alpa started when they realised that even the pilots were at a risk of losing their jobs
when the news came out that airmalta had to shed more than 500 jobs they didnt say a thing about what can be done.
Mr Joseph Cauchi Senior
Jul 6th 2011, 14:39
What is the difference between the old transport bus-drivers and the air-drivers (pilots) of Air Malta today?
Any answers?
By the way, any similarities are purely co-incidental, perhaps?
JC.
Jon Vercellono
Jul 6th 2011, 15:59
What is the difference between Mr. Joseph Cauchi Senior (JC) and the Minister for Transport? Any answers? Well, they're both entirely devoid of facts to base their arguments on; out of touch with the reality experienced by a normal Maltese citizen; and incredibly arrogant. Please come prepared to defend your argument; you haven't a clue what the pilots are striking over - except what your heroes tell you to believe.
John Pecorella
Jul 6th 2011, 14:38
Niehu pjacir narhom b'qalbom perzuta dawn ta' l- MHRA
Mr R ferriggi
Jul 6th 2011, 14:31
maybe this will teach politicians ( PN and PL....) to not make job promises and assurances in the future....
or will it??
will they resist the temptation to promise pie in the sky?? tax cuts, heaven on earth??
Chris Fenech
Jul 6th 2011, 14:27
Bottom line is that the strike will be the final nail in the coffin .... its pointless blaming past errors because the problem exists NOW! None of the past costs are going to be recovered so ALPA should take the more responsible decision and keep going ... yes people will lose their jobs but Airmalta may still have a fighting chance of survival ... if they strike, then the people in hotels etc etc will still have their jobs so MHRA need not worry ... but the staff at Airmalta will DEFINITELY not have a job thanks to the pilots' strike ....
the one for all and all for one attitude doesn't work in this situation!
Lino Busuttil
Jul 6th 2011, 23:17
you think loosing 52% of the tourism market will not effect MHRA, wow you should be advising Tonio on National economics!
Mr Charles Grima
Jul 6th 2011, 14:15
This will be my last trip with Airmalta, rain or shine. I only booked with Airmalta because of a rapid deployment abroad and the low-cost were not low-cost at all..... I will now probably be stranded in England on the 16th, I will have to sleep with my kids on the floor of the airport.
You all DESERVE to be sacked! I hope the company goes bankrupt...
C. Vella
Jul 6th 2011, 14:07
Why doesn't the MHRA lobby the government to review the contracts held by the usual suspects instead of attacking ALPA. After all we are talking about restructuring and whilst staff downsizing is a common practice so is contract renegotiation. Why this secrecy? Why are we being distracted with non important issues such as the freebies and free-tickets issues? The cuts from removing the freebies do not even scratch the surface, they are just cosmetic. The real deal are the multi-million contract holders that have been providing a super poor service for a super high price.
As regards the strike I really do hope that common sense will prevail and it will not go ahead but the common sense must come from the government's side as ALPA is only the whistleblower at this stage.
Mr R. Zammit
Jul 6th 2011, 13:59
Quote "Pilots' strike will put company, its workforce and jobs of thousands of others at risk - MHRA"
This headline could easily be replaced by "MHRA's insistence to give subsidies to everybody but Air Malta since 2006, has put the company, its workforce and jobs of thousands of others at risk "
MHRA delivered one huge nail in Air Malta's coffin in 2006, and the unsustainable pressure is exponentially being felt today, now that Air Malta has divested all its assents and has nearly nothing left.
Mr Emanuel Curmi
Jul 6th 2011, 14:32
Air Malta has evolved into a dinosaur and blaming low cost carriers, the MHRA, exploding oil prices etc etc is not going to change that.
There are enough fossils out there like Swissair & Olympic Airways while the list of similar endangered species like Alitalia, Cyprus Airways is also not lacking.
This problem has been on the agenda for years and years and either nothing has been done or a succession of management have proved themselves helpless of how to even start.
At least the present minister has declared himself a fool in airline matters so at least that is a start.
Mr edward ciantar
Jul 6th 2011, 14:37
I ask, how many routes were imposed on KM to open to accomodate MHRA and in the end suffered financial consequencies? Nice, really nice.
Poor staff, now.
Mr R. Zammit
Jul 6th 2011, 15:34
Emanuel Curmi, I do not blame LCCs BUT I do blame the government's blatant subsidies to them (besides MIA also giving them further subsidies).
Do you all realise what we are talking about? Let me try and be as simple as possible without getting too technical.
The government is dishing out €12.5 MILLION per annum exclusively to LCCs that are direct competitors to Air Malta.
LCCs thus give cheaper tickets, so not only is Air Malta not getting its share of the subsidy, but it has to lower its prices in response, to keep getting passengers. Thus, whilst carrying a similar number of passengers in 2006 vs 2010, Air Malta's revenue went down €20 million.
This means the company was €20million poorer in just ONE year, even though it did the same job. This has been going on for 5 years now. Yes OF COURSE I see this as a direct result of the government playing Father Christmas to LCCs, after giving in to two whole years of MHRA/GRTU (and the rest of the "Low Cost at all Cost Brigade" - remember them?) insistence.
Just to put things in even more perspective; IATA has announced that this year, airlines globally will average just 0.5% profit. (Usually its not much more, about 2% - even the bank gives better margins!).
Now Air Malta had a turnover of €249 million in 2009. IF the company was 'fuq ir-rubini", on IATA's profit forecast, we could have expected a modest profit of €1.24 million last year.
Now can you believe that our government and Air Malta's own main shareholder is giving away exactly 10 times Air Malta's 'at best' potential profit to its direct competitors? Can you believe this? I really cannot get over it! Anybody without blinkers cannot fail to see this reality, and how it will effect (read bankrupt) even the most healthy company.
And this is just ONE of the points the pilots are making.
Stephen Grech
Jul 6th 2011, 16:32
Mr.Zammit,
Not only did the Government act as Father Christmas with LCC, but also imposed AirMalta to keep on operating loss making routes carrying 7 people out of Malta and returning back with 15 passengers.
With all the statistics, why didn't MHRA comment on such routes.???
Lino Busuttil
Jul 6th 2011, 13:48
"The stakes are very high, and we need to work together to see how best we can put Air Malta back on its feet in the shortest time possible," the MHRA said.
Very well said, finally MHRA is concentrating on the real generator of it's business, now lets see if the ones who have been eating away all the profits of Air Malta will participate in this project to save the major pillar of our tourism, MHRA existence and the country as a whole. The stakes are high that is why ALPA probably chose peak season rather then the lean season for it's threat. When they got tired speaking in deaf ears they seem to have had no choice.
For the misinformed, by the ones eating the Airline profits I mean the STINKING contracts made by the blessing of previous directors who were accountable the responsibility THE MINISTER. The stakes are high indeed, cause even those contractors will loose at the end without AIR MALTA.
As it stands today the damage of keeping these contacts is much more disastrous then a huge strike, because these one sided agreements has already depleted all the assets making KM criplled for the first time taking a grant from the Government.
For those crying for the blood of employees, with a simple calculation if all the workforce is not paid for its work, KM would still do a hefty loss, now the ball is in he Government hands to assume political reponsibilty for his APPOINTED DIRECTORS at that time and if need be revoke by legal notice all existing contracts assumed by these disloyal or neglegent board members or managers and put new ones in force until embezzlemnt free and normal tendering is issued. Each week of Government procrastination is costing the country 1 million euros. If Tonio Fenech acted when ALPA first warned him in November we would have saved more than 32 million Euros which is eqivalent to this years annual loss.
Now before you start blogging please don't just read the short uninformed or unrelated contributions.
Mr edward ciantar
Jul 6th 2011, 14:34
This.
Let's see if any of the enlightened take you on Lino.
D Dalli
Jul 6th 2011, 14:48
I am sorry to hear that you lost your job and you are right. Why should you be happy that you lost your job and another five people kept theirs ? On the other hand maybe your job was one of the 'government of the time' job favour for votes ! Unfortunately everyone has to be realistic about this situation....including all the people who got jobs at Airmalta because someone knows someone who knows some minister which will arrange for him or her to work at Airmalta for....................THE NUMBER 1 ON THE BALLOT PAPER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jose Pena-Arevalo
Jul 6th 2011, 13:44
Money talk and bullshit walks- no comments - MHRA should instead of issue staments, to think i i lose my job, do you think I go home happy because still 5 people remain at work, instead of me. When is too late is too late.
Mr renald williams
Jul 6th 2011, 13:31
Quote - "Ultimately Government will have to shoulder the responsibility for Air Malta.’’ ... very well said…
Times - Tuesday, June 14, 2011 - No indication of job losses last year – ex-Air Malta chairman
Former Air Malta chairman Sonny Portelli has stood by statements he made last year that nobody, at the time, was going to be thrown out of a job …
Times – 18 May 2011 - Air Malta: Ball in EU court
… the government has already said that any Air Malta employees made redundant would be … absorbed within the civil service. …
Nazzjon – 06 Marzu 2008 – Il-qerq lill-ħaddiema – Minn Austin Gatt
... l-Air Malta ... toffri lill-impjegati tagħha serħan tal-moħħ dwar is-sigurta’ ta’ l-impjieg tagħhom ...
Independent – 01 March 2008 – Ministry replies to Labour spokesmen
... The PN in government guaranteed all the jobs at Air Malta ... This commitment was confirmed in the PN electoral programme and in a letter the Prime Minister wrote to Air Malta employees. Nothing ... would change these clear promises, the ministry added. The Nationalist government ... guaranteed all the jobs ...
Letter - LAWRENCE GONZI – PRIM MINISTRU – 25 ta’ Frar 2008 – .
.. l-Air Malta ... Inghatat garanzija mill-gvern li kull impjegat jibqa’ fl-impjieg ...
– Dejjem tieghek - Lawrence Gonzi – BERGA TA’ KASTILJA, PJAZZA KASTILJA, VALLETTA
Independent – 21 February 2008 – Ministry rebuts MLP ‘allegations’ on Air Malta
... the Nationalist government ... to secure employees’ jobs, the ministry said ...
Mr edward ciantar
Jul 6th 2011, 14:32
....good show again Renald.
Any comments are superfluous by the enlightened.
Mr Paul Borg
Jul 6th 2011, 13:11
I am sure that the strike threat is only a gimmick of the Pilots association. As always the day before the strike is due, the government will hold a meeting a reconciliation meeting with the associatin and bye bye everything..any bets??
Rocco Camilleri
Jul 6th 2011, 13:10
I fully agree with you MHRA have said, but as one can see the PN government is dragging his feet to take any serious action. He should have noticed this situation very long time ago since being in government for these last 25 years. One should wonder how Air Malta pays 23 million euro to the MIA and also low tariffs being paid for cargo handling. All the blame is on the government shoulders and on those managers appointed in the Air Line during these 25 years. The pilots, cabin crew and loaders always carried out their work and transported foreigners and Maltese people sound and safe to their destinations. One has also not to forget that these workers did a lot of sagrifices when the top people took honoraria and other perks. How can Air Malta compete with the Low Cost Airlines when they are not treated on the same playing field/lines. The government is being insensitive to all this and is not giving us the true pictures of Malta's situations.
J. Borg
Jul 6th 2011, 12:56
Whilst one understands the concerns of AirMalta's pilots, one is also concerned with the consequences of their actions. Industrial action will at this very delicate stage mean eventually the closure of AirMalta and thus the employees concerned, including pilots would have gained nothing except a quicker route to unemployment. In these circumstances,
Government should perhaps consider preparing plan 'B' by short term recruitment of pilots, if this is at all possible. Arriva have shown us that they mean business and quickly got over 60 bus drivers. I am not implying that finding pilots is easy, but it is neither impossible.
Another option is for government to IMMEDIATELY declare the names of those pilots who will be made redundant (I suggest the first one should be Alpa's President). In that way, those who will still remain on the books of AirMalta will have much more interest to keep on delivering a service.
Jon Vercellono
Jul 6th 2011, 13:54
Thanks for that word from Castille.
vincent a galea
Jul 6th 2011, 12:53
Agreed! The MHRA are very correct to issue and voice their concern... Some weeks ago, at the first hint of industrial action by the Air Crew, I commented here advising CAUTION, CONSIDER repercussions and MORE ..!!! The fact that we are at the HEIGHT of our tourist season must not be IGNORED and neither the fact that AIR MALTA needs SUPPORT not HINDRANCE... !!!!!!!
But then should these BURDENSand RESPONSIBILITES not also be taken into consideration by ALL CONCERNED on all sides of the spectrum ??!! Be it AIR MALTA, GOVERNMENT, etc....
Have ALPA aired some valid reasons? Is it true that there are concerns over the contracts that are supposedly strangling our NATIONAL AIRLINE??? SOMEBODY TELL US........ IS IT TRUE ?????
It is time for PROTOCOLS to be put aside... Unions registering this and registering that ........ !!!
ALL GET DOWN FROM THEIR HIGH HORSES AND THEIR IVORY TOWERS, PUT THEIR BRAINS IN POSITIVE MODE WITH PRIDE FOR THESE ISLANDS TAKING PROMINENCE, (MAYBE THE FOREIGNERS RUNNING THE SHOW UNDERSTAND ME AND GET THAT FEELING TOO!!) FORGET ALL POLITICAL AGENDAS, GET ROUND A TABLE, TALK OPENLY LIKE THE NORMAL, INTELLIGENT HUMAN BEINGS WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.... THRASH EVERYTHING OUT - AGREE - SHAKE HANDS - AND LET THE CHAMPAGNE FLOW........!!!! ( AĦĦĦĦĦ !! I wish I could be there!!)
ITS AN OLD SAYING, BUT ITS TRUE, "WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY" ?? OBAMA SAYS, "YES I CAN!!
I talk as a seasoned AIRLINE/TOURISM person...
IT IS THE TIME FOR ALL RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE AID OF THIS PRECARIOUS SITUATION... I REPEAT WITH THEIR BRAINS IN "POSITIVE" MODE......
Mr John Montague
Jul 6th 2011, 12:52
I find it quite amazing that one and all are missing the wood for the trees. The pilots appear to hold AirMalta's interests at the forefront, and will resort to action only if third party contracts are not renegotiated. Quite frankly, these should (and I am positive are) at the top of Peter Davies' to-do list. So this is a win-win situation, and these chaps should be identified as the well-wishers and not would-be rogues.
A Maltese crew recently recently flew an AirMalta craft to Tripoli to evacuate Maltese and other nationals who wished to leave, exposing themselves to personal threat. The pilot simply stated that AirMalta needed the positive publicity. I do not identify this level of corporate loyalty as anything other than deserving.
Do not be misled by the smokescreen. The real culprits here are those that stood by and looked on in the knowledge of what was amiss. The loyal are simply paying that price.
Alfred Fenech
Jul 6th 2011, 12:44
GOOD, GOOD, The pilots should go on STRIKE for their interests. MHRA should have come into the picture when millions of money was being squandered. Every CEO had his fill from air Malta., having families, relations etc ride for free. Its just now that the GOVT woke up and stopped freebees and perks
at the expence of AIRMALTA. Its too late now. So if you PILOTS, STAFF want to save the company and your interests......STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE.
Anton Vella
Jul 6th 2011, 12:40
I think that all parastatal companies have the same problem. Both governments aldd people to these companies where in actual fact did not need to do. Now the problem is: extra workers.
Mr Slim Bartolo
Jul 6th 2011, 12:37
Just like the Bus Drivers...frankly they just do not give a damn, i 'm alright Jack sort of typical Maltese attitude, take it or leave it Maltese style with alot of things.
Charles Micallef
Jul 6th 2011, 12:35
I do not support the strike action, but ALPA has got a very valid point, which is that a lot of the debts incurred are accumulated because of very zealous ex and present employees of Air Malta who set up various companies to obtain internally contracts at inflated costs and to supply the same airline with supplies various as is the case with MIA charges to KM, and the public regret to note that while action has been taken to reduce costs with reducing labour, KM has done nothing to reduce these costly abnormalities.
Tarcisio Bonello
Jul 6th 2011, 12:33
So the MHRA is saying that the ALPA Pilots who might be losing their own jobs should not go on strike ?! And may I ask the MHRA who is going to make good for their wages ? - maybe the MHRA ?
Mr Lawrence Fenech
Jul 6th 2011, 12:22
It seems that MHRA is forgetting that pilots, loaders, staff are already at risk or maybe these do not fall under the category of jobs.
L GRECH
Jul 6th 2011, 12:11
so dear MHRA,
losing jobs from Airmalta is not important, but losing jobs in the hotel industry apparently is.
Thank you for letting us know
Mr Joseph Cauchi Senior
Jul 6th 2011, 12:08
Now that ALPA has plan A in progress for industrial action, what is its plan B for the next morn?
Dominic, any (serious, intelligent and unbiased) thoughts?
JC.
Mr Alexander Azzopardi
Jul 6th 2011, 12:08
"A lot has been said about Air Malta's current state of affairs and blame goes to the politicians who over the years interfered and took decisions for Air Malta where and when they shouldn't and did not when they should have." bhal meta tkun waslet l elezjoni generali biex jintrebhu l Voti, Meta tibzoq fi sema jigi lura f wiccek !!