The General Workers’ Union strongly condemns the unprofessional way in which the article ‘Air Malta facing action in staff dispute with GWU’ (January 6) was written. It seems clear the article had the intention to harm and prejudice the ongoing discussions between the GWU and Air Malta.
The GWU cannot remain silent when the Times of Malta chose to manipulate the letter the secretary of the Maritime and Aviation Section, Sandro Vella, sent to the management of Air Malta. Furthermore, although we answered questions on the same subject sent by the Times of Malta, the answers given were not published.
From what was published in the report, one can conclude that the answers given were not in line with the aims of the report.
In its reply to the questions sent by the Times of Malta, the GWU said: “While we confirm that the GWU has an industrial dispute with Air Malta, we are not able to say what are the reasons of this dispute. This is because it can prejudice the possibility of an agreement between the two sides that can be reached in the coming days.
“Industrial dispute is a standard procedure envisaged by law at a time when both sides cannot reach agreement on a particular issue. Therefore, the next step is that both sides agree to meet in conciliation, as indeed it is happening. Therefore, not every industrial dispute leads to industrial action.
“At this moment, the GWU did not see the need to make public this industrial dispute. It is at the discretion of the union if it informs the media with any industrial disputes, like when it is the editor that decides if or any press releases received are to be published or not.”
Therefore, nowhere did the GWU say it gave notice of industrial action against Air Malta, whether in the letter to the management or in our responses tothe newspaper.
It is also not true that workers are being kept in the dark about the company’s future as the GWU has already informed its members of a scheduled meeting with Minister Edward Zammit Lewis in which the future of the company will be discussed.
This is not the first time items about the GWU appeared on the Times of Malta before the information is first verified or else the comments given were ignored but the newspaper still persisted in presenting inaccurate information.
The GWU calls for a more respectful and ethical journalistic attitude because it does not wish to take drastic measures against the journalist involved to defend its interests and the work it is doing for the benefit of its members, workers and their families.
Editor’s note: Nowhere in its report did this newspaper say “the GWU… gave notice of industrial action against Air Malta”. What it did say was that the airline “may be facing industrial action”.
The GWU complains that this newspaper did not carry the answers given to the questions put. But the Times of Malta spoke to the section secretary, and quoted him in the write-up, and also carried excerpts from the letter the union sent to its members at Air Malta.
The union is not denying or challenging any of this.
Had this newspaper not wanted to verify the information at its disposal, it would not have spoken to the section secretary. That can hardly be called unethical journalistic atittude.