Air Malta to launch early retirement schemes next week

Joseph Calleja

Dec 10th 2011, 15:43

Here we go again. So Air Malta management decided to lay off 500 of their employees and yet they also decided to add another 100 employees to their staff. So why not lay off 400 employees and keep the rest? Is there a hidden agenda behind this firing and hiring? I happen to agree with the GWU on this one. By right they should let go of the last 400 hires and let the rest stay. This is very serious and the government and management should think twice about a move like this. Everybody is aware that this is a political move to protect some of the Blue Eyed Boys and nothing else. Again, nothing against the employees of Air Malta, but the government should make the same retirement plan offer to all other government employees not just to airline employees. As the saying goes, "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive." Does the management of Air Malta ( Foreigners of course) think that all Maltese are that gullible? If I worked for the government I would demand the same treatment that the Air Malta Employees are getting. I still ask. Why lay off 500 employees and fabricate a job vacancy for another 100? Does not make sense. But then we have to take care of our pet boys and girls? How pathetic, Mr Minister and Mr Davies?

j brincat

Dec 10th 2011, 13:25

@robert pace

Quote:"They brought down the airline to its knees and the authorities are reluctant to mention who is to blame for Air Malta"

And how could the authorities ever mention who made Air Malta bankrupt when it was this government who chose the several chairmen and directors of the Board? How were they chosen? The end result speaks volumes. Because the were blue eyed boys who always supported the PN. Now look where this got us? A cow milking millions of Malta lira (cause in the euro era it never made a profit) every year in our coffers to a pitiful company. Don't blame it on the changing working environment and obsolete working practices. The chairmen and board directors were there to see that the company they were entrusted to run worked effectively and efficiently. AND because not everybody knows this they are fully responsible for their actions for the time they served on the Board, that is in accordance to our Company's Law.

(jb)

A. Xuereb

Dec 10th 2011, 13:02

according to Mr Davies 100 new positions have been created due to the reorganization.......meaning 100 less nationalist die hards without a job!

Godfrey Camilleri

Dec 10th 2011, 12:51

Probably the best way to go about this problem is to shed people on the last in first out principle and then issue the applications and conduct the interviews for the new posts. Obviously experience with Air Malta will be an strong asset when the applicants will be assessed.

Mr Joseph Vella

Dec 10th 2011, 12:12

I hope the new structure will include more (efficient) customer care representatives. Mr Davies is being paid half a million annually and he hasn't even solved the very basic issue troubling AirMalta - like spending 45 minutes on a telephone line. The airline's best asset is (or maybe was?) customer loyalty - I hope they manage to maintain it

Charles J. Buttigieg

Dec 10th 2011, 09:55

When Air Malta’s management starts thinking apolitically, logically and commercially they will find that the ‘last in first out’ approach would yield a much better result to decrease its workforce and less workers would lose their job.

If you have a human resource of say a 1,000 and discharge 400 relatively new comers you are also gradually decreasing the work force with the pensionable retirement of the old timers. On the other hand when discharging the old timers the remaining force will take much longer to deplete itself.

John Micallef

Dec 10th 2011, 09:44

Wish I were offered an early retirement option. But alas, 25 years working, payign tax and NI (which do not guarantee any pension if I make it to pensionable age) seem not to matter. Like me, thousands others have made their contribution by working hard and paying their dues, but when it came to the crunch - they were just shown the door out.

What makes Airmalta (like Maltapost, dockyards, before it) so special?

Peter Murray

Dec 10th 2011, 08:12

What about the staff who don't apply for early retirement -but who will still have to go ?How many in total staff will Air Malta have to cut loose and why is this figure religiously avoided being disclosed?

robert pace

Dec 10th 2011, 08:10

This is a price the workers have to pay. They were the backbone of the National airline that left millions over the years. Tthan we had the super chairmen and CEO-s, one even boasting how he ate the traditional food down in the southern resort of Mxlokk and gave his sarcastic smiles, as if to say its all on Air malta including the Villa.
They brought down the airline to its knees and the authorities are reluctant to mention who is to blame for Air Malta. They went off with their pockets full (more than full believe me) and left scot free. Now the workers face the trial and will be hanged and maybe we will give them some crumbs or better leftovers before hanging. This is the truth and reality not what you are misfed , ask the ministers and opposition as well to be open and not beat around the bush. The workers will pay for the mistakes of the past managements. PM will not speak up either and like the rest of all tries to give the impression that the schemes will make
the staff rich. You hear this in the streets and laugh"Guess how much the Air malta staff are given? Christ Almighty!! 25,000 maltese liri at the most, as the average is 15,000LM . Big deal divide by the 500e wage increase and you will know very well how good they are!! These are to compensate for the years you have left !!! This is what the people should know as it hurts to utter rubbish when you know they have to leave after these years!! Happy xmas this is what they have the cheek to utter now!!! Thank you

Albert Bonnici

Dec 10th 2011, 05:42

In Reply to Mr Mizzi;
Do take some time and look at the rest of Europe, then make a comparison with Malta......................makes nonsense of your statement

J. Scicluna

Dec 9th 2011, 23:58

To Air Malta Management,

The 1,300 Staff and their families would like to thank you for the "thoughfullness" and "kindness" of this gift just a few days shy of Christmas.

After a whole year full of never-reached-targets and promises, you just had to get THIS one right at this time of the year!

Your "humanity" leaves us speechless!

Mr Emanuel Farrugia

Dec 9th 2011, 23:53

L-importanti li t-'Top Management' huwa barrani, ghax ahna mhux kapaci naghmlu x-xoghol li jaghmlu dawn. Il-verita twegga.


Emanuel Farrugia former Executive Secretary Mtarfa Local Council

Victor Vella

Dec 9th 2011, 22:57

I challenge Davies and all those at the top that the new promotions are going to be filled by PN supporters monitored by the PN machine at Pieta by staff that are going to rest their minds that they are not going to be out of work by the policy of last in first out. Davies and his employers are finding a way how to get around the law of the last in first out. Davies knows the policy because he is not paid with peanuts. He could have made such re-allocation of resources when he came a year ago taking in consideration experience, ability, level of education and motivation. Those who are going to take such promotions are already known and names are on the board. Some of them do not have more than O Level standard. That is why Air Malta staff have been without performance appraisals for the last five years so that nobody can challenge such a judgement. This is reminiscent that what used to happen during the labour era. The only drawback is that during the labour era Air Malta has a strong cashflow and the PN inherited a healthy airline where those of Nationalist creed had taken thousand of Liri because EFA told the ombudsman that they were not promoted because of their PN creed. Besides money they have taken from 3 to 4 promotions. Now those of labour creed are going to be left out but they are going to take the bucket because there is only dirt and corruption in the coffers of Air Malta. Those who are going to suffer such injustices what the Labour party is going to compensate them when in power? I hope that they find Joseh Muscat as the Nationalist found EFA.

A. Mizzi

Dec 9th 2011, 21:33

Ahjar li sar il-Air Malta sar il-Malta..ghax bhal Air Malta spicca il-pajjiz bi bzonn ta' tmexxioja serja, responsabilita u kontabilita minn fuq!