MHRA to sue ALPA officials if Air Malta strike goes ahead

Simon Cutajar

Jul 14th 2011, 19:11

What is going on here ! What does the MHRA has between the pilots and there strikes , there right to do so ? Mela the MHRA has nothing to do ? Do they have a new laywer service ? Mhux ahjar the MHRA goes round the hotels and restuarants around the island and pick the illegal foriegers working and sack them off ! Mhux ahjar the MHRA goes around and take a note of those waiting staff not taking care of the health and safety and chaeck that everyone has the certificate to work in food areas ! So the MHRA is going to strike when those Selmun Palace workers has been dissmised from work due to managment neglecencies ! .....and I know what I'm talking about cause I used to work at the holiday inn crown plaza in Sliema .

matthew tanti

Jul 14th 2011, 08:35

hopefully MHRA will lose this case, with costs.

Jonathan Scerri

Jul 14th 2011, 07:47

ALL unions should stand up against this attitude trying to forbid the right of industrial action !
Wake up! Let us have the Trade Union Council.

Anthony Agius

Jul 13th 2011, 22:55

Shame on you MHRA! No ethics!

John Chubbs

Jul 13th 2011, 22:20

MHRA,

Today you have shown your true colours and what you are really and truly worth. In my humble opinion your comments are unconstitutional and a threat to democracy. I am not sure whether ALPA should sue MHRA for their comments.

What you really care about is your businesses and not the country's well being.

I hope that the political parties open their eyes and see what MHRA are made of

Charles Pace

Jul 13th 2011, 21:26

i am a pilot and i can declare that i was against the strike but MHRA have really stooped low on this one. Did they forget the hundreds we got them extra during the Libya crisis. Or maybe the flights we operated during the snow storms in europe when others cancelled. Or maybe the thousands or millions actually we got them when they were starting up their empires. I know it will not make much difference to them but i will be damned if i spend one penny in one of these hotels. Their arrogance is amazing.

M. Bezzina

Jul 13th 2011, 21:22

Mela l ALPA missa tfittex l MHRA jekk jitkeccew il piloti tajjeb!!!!

silvio loporto

Jul 13th 2011, 21:18

So now what are we expected to do?
Kneel down and thank our stars that the strike has been called off.
So now Air Malta is safe.As from to-morrow buisness as usual,nothing to worry about.
Tell it to the marines.

Raymond Farrugia

Jul 13th 2011, 20:48

Irrespective of whether ALPA is right or wrong the threat against Alpa by MHRA shows great insensitivity and disrespect for workers rights. . They have certainly lost my sympathy.

Allan Gatt

Jul 13th 2011, 20:37

Id-dritt ghall-strike huwa sagrosant, u r-responsabbilta´ taqa fuq il-kapijiet tal-Air Malta li mmishom hadu mizuri kontra din is-sitwazzjoni zmien ilu. Il-kumpanija ila s-snin timxi bit-telf, u allura ISSA ha jiehdu passi drastici, wara li ghamlu li riedu? Tinsewx li s-CEO tal-Air Malta xorta ghadu jdahhal nofs milljun ewro fis-sena.

Joseph Stephen Galea

Jul 13th 2011, 19:52

Issa lanqas dritt ghal strike ma ghad fadal f'Malta. Isthu MHRA!

Mr Mario Busuttil

Jul 13th 2011, 19:25

I agree with Mr Vassallo, i think HMRA spokesman shoud know better that Industrial actions are within the parameters of the Law, and it's better for those who insits to sue Air Malta for actions make up his mind in different way. It is a great idea for someone not to put pressure on Unions not to strike because Unions only listen to it'sMembers and not of those oppositionist.Today's first Talks made chages in decisions so that Strike was called off and not the threatenings........

Billie Watson

Jul 13th 2011, 19:19

This is Malta where Cat&Mouse games are always alive, its a sort of a chain reaction, still all will be sorted no doubt before the weekend, its always is with the Bluffers, we know'em, too well. Still never mind eh.

T Mifsud

Jul 13th 2011, 19:19

How does falling flat on the face feel MHRA?

Lino Busuttil

Jul 13th 2011, 18:58

It is understandable that MHRA is panicking, though I thought having Ryan Air here was enough of a plan B for them. The strike action under Industrial Law would not be challenged successfully in the courts otherwise Malta will become in breach of International Conventions. Did it ever occur to them that may be the protection of these contracts by the Government agencies could be stronger than his concern for the Hotel business? These contracts are still in vigore eating a million euros a week away from the AIrline's lifeline and they ruined the airline.
Air Malta with weak negotiations with MIA et al will not do the trick, next year MHRA can sue the management for its fake restructuring plan and the unavoidable demise of the airline by it's faulty plan should this not reflect the input of it's experienced pilots in the trade.
I am at a loss how MIA did not join the quorus in threatening legal action, it's survival is at steak as well. The strike is legal no matter what they say and it will go ahead unless the contracts are dropped or the Primeminister enters as a guarantor and finds a solution to make sure these are dropped and clean ones signed afresh.
Pilots, like other peple in a profession are rare on a small island like ours with little or no resources and they are company assets so should be used for the Airline's branching business not throw them away after all the expense incurred to train them. A sucessful plan should have the aim to expand after the initail downsize otherwise the competition will eat Air Malta away anyway.

Carmel Xuereb

Jul 13th 2011, 18:50

Ara veru li MHRA hija tal-kapitalisti ghamlet bhal ma ghamlet l-Air Malta bit-theddid lil haddiema li jekk jistrakjaw tfittx il-union taghahom. Ma hawn ghar mill-kapitalisti ghad dawn dejjem hsiebhom b'buthom u l-haddiem jaghtuh bis-sieq, Kemm hemm impjegati fil-lukandi u restroranti li huma part time, u bil-paga minima u jhedduhom ghal kull haga ta' xejn li jkeccuhom u jhaddmu l-barranin (bi skjavitu)? L-MHRA imissha tigbed widnejn il-gvern ghax id-dizastru li hawn f'Malta ma gabu hadd ghar il-gvern u dan il-gvern dejjem sab lil min hu bhal MHRA bhala forcina. Strikes ghalxejn m'gahndhomx isiru issa naraw x'hin jitbiddel il-gvern kemm ser taghmlu bsaten fir-roti u titolbu affarijiet u theddu li se tkeccu lill-impjegati. Patrita KAPITALISTI intom

Ms G Schembri

Jul 13th 2011, 18:43

Dittaturi estremi. Dawn iridu jikmandaw lil gvern u lil Unions, kollox kif jaqbel lilhom.

Mr ALBERT LEONE GANADO

Jul 13th 2011, 18:31

Whilst I fully agree that a strike would sign the death warrant of AIRMALTA and in the current situation is irresponsible , I feel that the MHRA should do something more positive and tangible to ensure that our national airline survives. MHRA has to accept that it is the hotel industry which has the highest direct vested interest and benefits most from the continuing operation of our airline. May I suggest that the hotel industry makes a contribution to AIRMALTA of let us say 50cents to 1 euro a day to keep the airline flying and viable. Hotels already pay commissions to agents so why not to the carrier which brings the bulk of tourists to their hotel. By such a gesture of sharing the burden of getting tourists over their current objections to undesirable actions by ALPA would sound more honest and less egoistic

Charles J. Buttigieg

Jul 13th 2011, 18:30

If a firm has a contractual obligation with another entity and fails to deliver due to any action taken by the workers, the entity my sue the contracted firm not its workers, no more no less. Air Malta is a State Agency licensed to carry Pax, Cargo and Mail and its legal obligations adequately covers the rights of its pax and its cargo clients. MHRA and any other constituted body which benefits from the wealth spin-off created by Air Malta is a bonanza and Air Malta and its workers can’t be kept legally responsible if the attendant free benefits run into jeopardy.

Am I saying that it would be wise for ALPA to go on strike? No and I insist that by going on strike the pilots will inflict their own injuries. But they still have their legal rights to take an industrial action irrespective of legal threats by MHRA and other Bodies. Brave men will listen to reason but they wouldn’t succumb to bullying.

Mr John Montague

Jul 13th 2011, 18:24

High up in the clouds, with foot in mouth, and finger firmly on self destruct. No court will ever sanction selective amnesia.

Joseph Vassallo

Jul 13th 2011, 18:22

And who is the MHRA joker who came out with this one? I bet he is not a lawyer or he would know better.

Here we are saying that police officers and soldiers should have a union and the right to go on strike and here comes someone who reckons he wants to sue pilots because his hotel loses some customers when a union exercises its legitimate right to call industrial action.

I would like to see them try this one out. Why don't they all stop threatening and address the issues being pressed by ALPA. MHRA members would be right up **itstreet if Air Malta's pilots decide they've had enough of political interference and impositions and call it a day en bloc.

Take a chill-pill whoever you are, Mr MHRA spokesman!

Mr Joseph Sammut

Jul 13th 2011, 18:10

Ahjar l-MHRA tkellem lil gvern biex jirranga dan id-dizastru u mhux titfa l-htija fuq il-haddiema.

C. Vella

Jul 13th 2011, 18:06

So if a hotel goes bankrupt and agencies and airlines have already committed their services, are the directors of that hotel liable? I guess not.

Additionally should Airmalta sue MHRA for lobbying for the introduction of LCCs which are heavily subsidised from my taxes too and as a result have slowly eroded Airmalta's viability? Even better, can I sue MHRA because I feel that I should not be subsidising the LCCs?

The members of MHRA are not realising that they have no say in this issue which must be resolved (hopefully with no strike action) between the two parties. The rest can like me sit down and hope for the best.

Mr mark johnson

Jul 13th 2011, 18:04

I am going to sue MHRA because they are filling my noggin with bollocks ideas.

james zammit

Jul 13th 2011, 17:57

Taghtux kaz l-mhra ghax dawn ipokrita meta jkunu mal-ministru jilaqugh u fuq it-t.v. jitkellmu mod iehor. Ara huma li jhaddmu l-haddiema biL-loqom u jistmawhom ta' skjavi ok. Ghandna PM li ma jaghtix kaz poplu shih l-ALPA ghala ghanda taghti kaz l-MHRA jew UHM.? iL-HADDIEM GHANDU JUZA' L-UNIKU ARMA TA' STRAJK META JKUN SE JOLQOT FIL-LAHAMIL-HAJ. Il-PM ha 500 euro fil-gimgha u taparsi ma ridhiex u martu l-anqas tghidlu li qed jaghmel hazin forsi ghax hu dittatur wisq. Ghalhekk jien nappoggja li strajk ghax il-gvern hekk irid.

Anthony Busuttil

Jul 13th 2011, 17:50

Did MHRA asked the advise of its members?

Loreta Lija

Jul 13th 2011, 17:41

Since when strikes has become illegal?

Mr francis darmanin

Jul 13th 2011, 17:37

Can someone help me on this one? If any airline (or cruise liner for that matter) fails to bring tourists to Malta for any particular reason, can the MHRA or any other body sue other parties? For example if a cruise liner company decides to delete Malta from its itinerary because it has words with its local agent, said agent can be sued by, say, Valletta shop owners or cab owners for loss of business? Please tell me I'm wrong because since I started taking the car to Valletta I'm afraid I might be sued by the bus drivers' union or TM even!!

Mr Joseph E Briffa

Jul 13th 2011, 17:31

ALPA's threat to strike is really a funny one if it weren't so tragic. The pilots are working for a company, AirMalta. They are therefore employees not management. If one is in a company's employ and doesn't like the way the company is being run, what does one do? Definitely not go on strike; one just packs up and leave. No employee can take management to task for the way the company is being run. This would be preposterous and ALPA's threat to strike is simply that.

Charles Busuttil

Jul 13th 2011, 17:20

Where was MHRA during and after the RJ70s and Azzurra Air fiascos? They didn't hold anyone responsible then!!

j brincat

Jul 13th 2011, 17:17

MHRA don't you think that you're out of line on this one?

Steer clear of this dispute least you want to damage your credibility.

(jb)

Mr Chris Mifsud

Jul 13th 2011, 17:16

The ALPA are very irresponsible. Redundancy happens, its not nice but it does happen and we live and move on. They should move on. Air Malta is doing nothing illegal by letting go of some people to keep the airline from going bankrupt.

Mr edward ciantar

Jul 13th 2011, 17:16

Dear MHRA part of the fracas Air Malta is in is your doing. always requesting govt to add routes and more seat capacity when these were never financially viable.

Anthony Paris

Jul 13th 2011, 17:13

The pilots have been aware of the mismanagement at Air Malta, but have been unable to get anyone's attention. They saw consultants coming and going for the past 20 years, all for nothing. In 2004 they, like all other Air Malta employees, agreed to frozen wages. This has made all Air Malta employees, at least morally, shareholders in the airline. The pilots saw through the Ernst&Young recovery plan, which was barely worth the paper it was written on (never mind 3.3 millon euro) If the only way the shareholder will listen to the only people making sense is through industrial action, then so be it. It is the self professed "cuc Malti" who brought this situation about. Even the CEO is wanting to modify the Ernst&Young plan (for which I read, he does not agree with it) It is not true that there is only one solution to save Air Malta. Only a "cuc Malti" will believe that.

P Buħaġiar

Jul 13th 2011, 17:02

The only "Union" that remained without comment is "UHM" about this mess baked by the our beloved PN gov. I want people to remember that way back 1996/98 when labour Gov was in power, the same UHM with the same leaders of today claimed that they wanted LM 9 around 20 Euros increase in wages and salaries per week. Now when they say something, always 'that you have to take in consideration this or that excuse'. It's like PN under different name.

Giovanni Piscopo

Jul 13th 2011, 16:59

Where was MHRA when the government gives undue subsidies to low cost carriers at the cost of AirMalta.

Do most people realise that as was written in the Times last week the government gives Ryanair an average of 4million per aircraft to be stationed here. So when people express their anger when they hear about AirMalta government aid I hope they realise that this is the norm in low cost carriers. This means whether or not they choose to fly Ryanair each and every one of us actually contributes towards that 4million grant.

Where did MHRA sue the government by not assisting in an equal manner AirMalta? People must understand that MHRA doesn’t care about AirMalta or its employees, it only cares about the number of tourists that come so it can make more money. So I ask readers to put MHRA's statements within this perspective before analysing what is said.

j brincat

Jul 13th 2011, 16:57

Has the democratic right of strike ceased to exist in Malta?


(jb)

Keith D'Amato

Jul 13th 2011, 16:53

Pudina wara l-ohra...

M. Aquilina

Jul 13th 2011, 16:50

Just one question: kuntenti l-MHRA bir-cryainair?

Mr J Demicoli

Jul 13th 2011, 16:47

Look who's talking now!!
MHRA as they say inthom triduha hobla w tredda.
If anything your move will make ALPA dig more their heels!
Shame on you succers!!

John Pecorella

Jul 13th 2011, 16:46

This looks interesting, how is MHRA going to do that when everything is legal?

Mr Victor vella

Jul 13th 2011, 16:46

Well Done. ALPA is hijacking 1500 employees at Air Malta and 2700 employees in the tourist industry. For what? To attain its evil ends of egoism and putting at stake 20% of the country`s economy.

Mr Anthony Borg

Jul 13th 2011, 16:45

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association said this afternoon...."The proposed strike is totally irresponsible and will not only risk crippling the national airline but will also cause untold damage to Malta’s image, the tourism industry and to the Maltese economy as a whole," the association said.

MHRA, you forgot to include your fat pockets in the crippling

Mr Peter Murray

Jul 13th 2011, 16:43

It is the Air Malta management that should be sued and if they hanged them for being competent or efficient they would be hanging innocent men!

Matthew Cachia

Jul 13th 2011, 16:41

This situation is the Government's fault, not the pilots.

The pilots are trying a last ditch attempt to save the company. The pathetic MHRA should be thanking them and joining their efforts instead of joining the government with threats like these.

Mr J. Borg

Jul 13th 2011, 16:39

So now we have a new trend in Malta....when a union defends it's workers everybody will start to sue that union so as to keep them responsible for damages incurred. Is this the New Malta in Europe we all dreamt of!!!!

C Gatt

Jul 13th 2011, 16:34

And I ask, why not sue the government for watching Airmalta sink without doing nothing?

Tarcisio Bonello

Jul 13th 2011, 16:34

If the MHRA is so desperate to have Air Malta Flying then shouldn't they purchase or at least bid for the company and run it themselves ?!

Mario Pace

Jul 13th 2011, 16:30

What a lot of crap!!!

If MHRA has that mich money and time to fritter away then they should buy up the ailing airline with all it's debt (warts and all).

They can then run it as a Low Cost Company which were brought in at their own insistence.

We do not need that many hotels (just the main five and four star ones) and definetely not that many restuarants.

The Maltese can re-learn how to cook again. Most of them have been forgetting recently preferring to eat out in the evening. With all modern amenities such as slow cookers, pressure cookers, microwave ovens, etc it should be simple to cook the old fashioned way again and fast.

Charles Micallef

Jul 13th 2011, 16:26

ALPA, you made your point, but going on strike is taking things too far in these circumstances!

Marco Lucia

Jul 13th 2011, 16:26

Sue ALPA officials? Din isbah issa!
How about ALPA suing MHRA for not having lifted a finger all these years in anything favouring Air Malta?
MHRA had their opportunity to argue against ALPA on Joe Grima’s program, but decided to simply talk shop. Now they threaten to sue?

ALPA strike totally irresponsible? What about the Air Malta audited accounts showing millions of Euros unaccounted for? Is it irresponsible to point this out too? How about being irresponsible from your side to lobby the gov into subsidising low cost carriers into Malta? How about gov brings in a subsidised hotel chain into Malta? Or even a low cost bank offering low cost loans. I’d love to see the day!

ALPA being simplistic? What’s so simplistic about the way they are handling it?

ALPA coming clean? Ha, din isbah!
Pilots on long leave? SO? If pilots are on long leave they save the Company money. Are you against that?
Hours worked per week? The law stipulates the maximum hours, and the Company sets the roster to maximise efficiency. Nothing to do with ALPA. But perhaps you think everybody should work the inhumane hours hoteliers make their employees work! How about MHRA coming clean on the working conditions at their hotels?
It is irrelevant where a pilot works when on leave, be it a low cost or not. As for working for low cost, just because a pilot is Maltese, does not mean he/she is an ALPA member or on leave from Air Malta. Believe it or not there are Maltese pilots who never worked for Air Malta, but work for other airlines.

Chris Fenech

Jul 13th 2011, 16:25

About time someone puts these pilots in their right place!

T Mifsud

Jul 13th 2011, 16:22

I hope MHRA realises that now it is attacking Air Malta AGAIN!

The first time it did, and still on going is pressuring the government to give in to low cost carrier SUBSIDIES!

Enough said

Mr Clive Aquilina Spagnol

Jul 13th 2011, 16:22

MHRA is acting funnily. They should know that their suing will be unfounded. This is only a threat to mount pressure on ALPA not to let its members exercise a right. As if MHRA is the guardian of our tourism industry and common good...hehe

Emvic Debono

Jul 13th 2011, 16:19

Can Everybody understand That when a Pilot In Malta is Sacked from AirMalta ,he will have to relocate with all the family to another country.The Govt will be actually denying the right to the pilots to work in Malta. The Maltese should understand that being a Pilot is not like any other job.
Lets all back up the good cause of the Air Malta Pilots.
The Maltese seem to worry if a DOG is killed but cannot understand that 50 of our Maltese fellow workers have to leave the Island with the detriment to their families to find a job because the Govt has yet again got it VERY WRONG!!!

Mr Tony Camilleri

Jul 13th 2011, 16:17

Defy MHRS ALPA.
Let them burn in hell.

Mr Tony Camilleri

Jul 13th 2011, 16:17

MHRA, you have absolutely no right to sue them because they are resorting to industrial action according to law.

Of all people YOU should be the least to speak because it was YOU who encouraged the CHEAPO Airlines to undermine Air Malta.

This is a disgrace.

Air Malta pays some €23 Airport charges while CHEAPO Airlines are given €25 for each passenger they bring from OUR taxes.

THis is apart from the outsourcing contracts which are costing an arm and a leg to Air Malta simply to obey the crap eu and it equally crap petty dictators.

Mr Charles camilleri

Jul 13th 2011, 16:15

Calls for discussions are coming from some quarters including the Unions.
May I humbly put my suggestion. This is that the Airline will retain the whole compliment of employees but halve their pay. I think that Alpa is insisting something along this line.