Plane sprayers left unpaid as company runs into legal trouble

Over 50 workers employed by Aviation Cosmetics did not receive their February salary as the plane-spraying company is in financial trouble due to a business dispute.

The Dutch company is subject to a freezing order following court proceedings initiated by another company. The court also ordered the company to be evicted from the government-owned land it operates on, after it failed to pay its dues.

A company worker told Times of Malta that he and his colleagues received their last salary on January 26. Their February salary – due on the 26th – has still not been paid.

“I am a father of several children, with all the expenses that entails. I can use my savings to manage a month without pay, but after that I have no idea what will happen to us,” he said.

The man, who asked not to be named, said that like him, almost all the workers employed by Aviation Cosmetics feel similarly worried.

He said the company’s workers are in limbo, not knowing whether they will be made redundant or eventually transferred to another company.

Union gets involved

General Workers Union general secretary Josef Bugeja confirmed the ongoing issue.

He said the union, on behalf of its workers, filed a court application on Friday to unfreeze enough of Aviation Cosmetics’ assets to pay salaries.

“We have also informed the Department of Industrial and Employment Relations that the wages have not been paid,” he said.

Minister promises to resolve issue

In comments to Times of Malta on Saturday, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said workers can be assured that they will be paid the salaries they are owed.

“The issue is not if, but how we ensure that the company’s workers get paid,” the minister said.

“We (the government) are working alongside the General Workers Union to ensure that happens,” he said.

Schembri added that there is a lot of interest in taking over the company’s operations and that workers currently employed by Aviation Cosmetics will be transferred to the company that takes over.

Earlier this week, Aviation Cosmetics was ordered to leave the INDIS-owned hangar in Safi Aviation Park that it operates from, after repeatedly failing to pay rent.

Magistrate Claudio Zammit gave the company 15 days to vacate the hangar and to settle over €453,000 in outstanding lease payments to the government's industrial land manager.

Sources said that more than one foreign company has shown interest in taking over the operations of the business “lock, stock and barrel,” but Tuesday’s court decision has complicated matters because it is unclear whether a new company can take over operations on INDIS land.

“INDIS is now taking legal advice on the best possible way to transfer the land lease to a new company,” they said.