UPDATED 6.35pm

The Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin this evening instructed bus drivers not to drive the 12-metre long buses, as it continued on its warpath against the operator, even if it suspended some of its actions.

The 12-metre buses make up a large portion of the fleet, UHM CEO Josef Vella told a news conference this evening. Drivers have also been instructed not to wear uniforms as the saga over union recognition continues. 

The union, however, suspended some off its bus drivers' action after officially being informed of a court sentence handed down last night. Until this morning, the union instructed bus drivers not to charge passengers, and to provide them with misleading and wrong information, but a court order ruled the action illegal. 

Mr Vella said Malta Public Transport’ management should be ashamed of themselves for constantly being in the news “for the wrong reasons”.

“We represent workers at several companies but this company always seems to present problems. Now it seems to think it can use an iron fist,” he said.

Josef Vella addressing the news conference this evening.

Mr Vella said the union had chosen to respect the court order even if this showed that unionism and workers’ rights were “under threat”. He said he would not exclude escalating measures including calling a strike of up to half of the drivers.

Mr Vella said he could not understand why the company was choosing to use its resources to fight against its industrial action, rather than getting on with verifying the union’s representation.

Malta Public Transport said this afternoon that the UĦM will be held responsible for all the consequences of drivers disobeying the court order.

"It is inexplicable that the UĦM has a total disregard for the court order. This is irresponsible and will have inevitable consequences," Julio Tironi, Transport Division Director of Autobuses De Leon said.

“We will have no alternative but to hold the UĦM responsible for all their actions and for the actions of those drivers that are following their instructions."

This is irresponsible and will have inevitable consequences

Malta Public Transport said it has no dispute with the UĦM and there is no reason to involve the employees in such actions which have absolutely nothing to do with the verification process.

“We reiterate that we will conclude the verification process in a few days, and as things stand, it will be the UĦM that will be the union recognised to represent our employees. However we will not tolerate this type of threatening or intimidating actions. If the UHM think that we will be intimidated and bypass a proper verification process including the checking of all documentation, then they are mistaken. We are conducting the process properly, and in accordance with well established procedures. This is in everyone’s best interest.”