(Adds ALPA's reply)
Air Malta has accused the pilots’ union of being unwilling to work constructively with the airline.
In a statement, Air Malta said that barely three months after concluding a new collective agreement, ALPA - the Airline Pilots Association, registered an industrial dispute with the airline claiming that the new training facilities at Air Malta's new offices were not up to standard.
The union’s executive committee also objected to the use of a new briefing room which was currently being refurbished as part of an overall exercise intended to reduce costs significantly, Air Malta said.
Air Malta said it has now challenged the union executive committee’s claims and invited ALPA to provide proof to support its claims.
It said it could not understand the motivations behind the union’s actions especially since certain committee members had, in the past months, embarked on a campaign stating that not enough was being done by the company to reduce costs.
Air Malta said that now that concrete action was taken, ALPA was the first one to object to changes.
It said that the union’s executive committee showed a particular inability to work constructively with management opposing initiatives that disturbed the status quo.
TRAINING ROOMS LACK VENTILATION, BRIEFING ROOM TOO SMALL - ALPA
ALPA confirmed the dispute and said that what Air Malta failed to mention was that the training rooms were located at SkyParks’ Level 0, which was below ground level and completely bereft of natural ventilation or window.
“Since crews will be required to spend up to seven hours daily in these rooms during courses, ALPA has requested that an Air Quality Report be carried out to assess the air quality in these rooms.
“We believe Air Malta should look after the interests of its employees and that primarily this task should have been requested by the Air Malta Health and Safety Office, which up till now has remained conspicuously out of the picture.”
ALPA said that in the absence of a satisfactory air quality report, it instructed members not to attend training in these rooms.
ALPA also said that the briefing room was inadequate and too small to cater for crews’ briefing needs. During briefing time pilots had to assess flight and weather conditions and take important decisions. At peak times up to six sets of pilots and cabin crew had to brief simultaneously.
A small and confined space such as that being proposed, would lead to too much cross-talk and interference which might lead to safety issues, it said. It added, that although it was not against relocating to cheaper options, an alternative room had to be adequate and cater for its intended purpose.
“While ALPA has not been actively involved in decisions as had been promised, we are certainly not resistant to change and cost cutting. In the last few months we have co-operated and offered our full assistance to the company in other matters.
“However ALPA will not tolerate a take it or leave it attitude at the detriment of its members.”
It questioned the real motives why the company splashed internal issues on the media.