The Opposition this evening accused Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis of being evasive by not giving direct replies to questions over whether Air Malta would lay off workers, whether it would change conditions of work, and whether it would be partially or fully privatised.

Questions were asked by Opposition deputy leader Mario de Marco and shadow ministers Claudio Grech and Jason Azzopardi, Antoine Borg (PN) and Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis.

When Mr Grech asked the original question on whether workers would be laid off or working conditions changed, Dr Zammit Lewis replied that the measures being taken by the airline were aimed precisely at avoiding any dismissals.

Mr Grech then asked whether the airline would be privatised and how.

The minister replied that the government was committed to ensuring that Air Malta achieved its restructuring targets and was financially sound. The management was committed to achieving commercial viability by 2016. 

However one could not just focus on the conclusion of the Restructuring Plan, in March 2016 and needed a longer-term plan. 

The government would abide by its electoral promise to give value to the airline's strategic importance by ensuring that it remained the national airline and an intrinsic element of the tourism infrastructure. It would therefore work to ensure that Air Malta was strengthened and it expanded regionally. 

When replying to supplementary questions, the minister went on to list several replies given by the previous government in the last legislature when no information was given because the information was ‘commercially sensitive’.

The former government he said, did not even reply to a question on uniforms.

He also pointed out that even though the former government negotiated a restructuring plan with the EU, the airline still continued to spend millions on consultancies - €5 million in 2011, nearly €6 million in 2012 and almost €2 million in 2013.

Last year under the present government consultancies cost €400,000.

Mr Grech said his question was on what restructuring measures the airline was taking and whether they would affect the workers.

Dr Zammit Lewis said it was under the former government that Air Malta reduced its workforce by 600. It had now taken various measures including disinvestment of Osprey Insurance,  and it intended to sell Selmun Palace Hotel by the end of the year for a price which was well above what the former government had set.

The airline had also saved €9 million in a new catering contract and €1 million in its IT contract.  

The cost base would remain under constant review, as every airline did.

The airline would also make the best possible utilisation of its workers and its aircraft.

Under this government, the airline would do its best not to dismiss any workers.

Dr Azzopardi referred to a story in The Sunday Times yesterday and asked if the government felt it had a mandate to privatise Air Malta.

Dr Zammit Lewis read the reference to Air Malta in the Labour manifesto – which was about retaining it as a strategic asset in the tourism industry  and said the government would respect its mandate and keep the airline Maltese.

Dr Azzopardi observed that the manifesto said nothing about privatisation or otherewise. So would the airline be privatised?

Dr Zammit Lewis said Air Malta would talk with any airline on achieving the best strategic arrangements it could achieve, in the interest of the country and its workers.  

Antoine Borg (PN) noted that under the former government, the then Opposition sat on a restructuring monitoring committee. Would the present opposition be invited to participate?

Dr Zammit Lewis said only about four meetings were held in the past and the opposition was presented with a fait accompli.

The opposition would be consulted at the appropriate time.

Mr Grech said the minister had not said yet whether the measures would impact the workers,

Dr Zammit Lewis said dismissals were made under the former government. The present one was doing its best to avoid them and was also working toavoid touching working conditions but in a tough competitive environment he could not say more.

Replying to a question by Mr Agius Decelis, Dr Zammit Lewis said the airline would continue to speak to the workers. They might not like everything that was said to them because there were challenges which the airline needed to overcome, but the airline was determined to achieve its targets

Dr de Marco urged the government to consult all stakeholders, saying the rumours that were currently circulating did not  serve anyone.

Dr Zammit Lewis said the government would consult the opposition at the opportune time, not least to learn from it how it had negotiated the restructuring deal with the EU and why it gave the airline management three year contracts when the restructuring plan was for five years. When its term expired, the former management ran off, he said.   

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