Air Malta workers remain in the dark over their future because negotiations between the management and trade unions have not yet started, the Times of Malta has learnt.
Although negotiations on new collective agreements should have been concluded within a month, sources close to the four unions representing employees said talks had not started, let alone ended.
President Emeritus George Abela, co-chairing a committee tasked with negotiating the collective agreements, confirmed when contacted yesterday that talks with unions had not started because the government had not yet concluded talks with the prospective strategic partner.
“We first need to know what the future of Air Malta is before sitting down with unions to discuss the future of its employees,” Dr Abela said.
The sources said the unions were prepared, with proposals in hand, and were waiting to be called for meetings. “We are still waiting. We’ve got everything prepared, including our proposals, but if the management does not call us for meetings, we cannot start the talks,” sources close to one of the unions said.
A representative of another union said they too were waiting to be summoned by management to start talks covering their members.
Replying to questions about the prevailing situation, the Tourism Ministry indirectly confirmed that meetings with unions were not being held. It said priority was being given to concluding talks with the strategic partner.
“While timeframes for the conclusion of collective agreements are being given due importance, the most crucial aspect at this stage is ending talks with the potential strategic partner in the best possible way. This is a very complex process through which the government is committed to succeed for Air Malta’s positive turnaround,” a ministry spokeswoman said when contacted.
Dr Abela was appointed by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to facilitate the talks. He co-chairs the committee with Air Malta chairwoman Maria Micallef. The members are Air Malta CEO Philip Micallef, human resources head officer Roberto Cristiano and Tourism Ministry consultant George Micallef.
Dr Abela had already been involved in a similar role 12 years ago during the first restructuring exercise undertaken in 2004.
The government-appointed committee held its first meeting on January 13 and the unions were told that negotiations on the new collective agreement had to be concluded by the end of February.
The sources said the unions were not given any information on the proposed new strategic partner, except for a brief mention that negotiations were still under way. The Times of Malta broke the news last year that Air Malta was having talks with Etihad Airways of the United Arab Emirates on the sale of a minority stake in the national air carrier. Since then, the media had reported talks with Turkish Airlines but even this was never officially confirmed by the government, which is keeping its cards close to its chest.
MINISTER UNDERSTANDS WORKERS' ANXIETIES
Addressing a news conference this morning, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said he understood the workers' anxieties and would hold structured discussions once talks with strategic partners were concluded.
He confirmed that discussions would not be concluded by the end of February.
matthew.xuereb@timesofmalta.com