The General Workers’ Union will order industrial action at Air Malta unless the government clearly declares that alternative jobs will be guaranteed for employees who are made redundant.
GWU general secretary Tony Zarb told a news conference yesterday that the government had reneged on an understanding that alternative employment would be offered to Air Malta employees, with ministers sending mixed messages on the subject.
Mr Zarb said the government had until June 30 to declare that alternative employment would be one of the options on the table for redundant Air Malta employees.
“If no declaration is made, the union will register an industrial dispute and if need be order industrial action,” Mr Zarb said.
In a brief statement the Finance Ministry made no specific reference to alternative employment guarantees, instead outlining the government’s commitment to offer workers various options.
“Government’s commitment was made clear in February to offer a number of solutions so that any decision taken will have the least social impact,” the ministry said.
It also noted that any decision would have to be taken in the context of a restructuring plan that still had to be approved by the EU Commission.
The union’s course of action was decided by Air Malta workers during a meeting organised by the GWU on Tuesday. Mr Zarb said the workers had unanimously agreed to authorise the union to give government an ultimatum.
He said the union was not against early retirement schemes but insisted those employees who wanted to continue working should have the option of being absorbed by the government.
Mr Zarb claimed the government’s change of heart was first detected when Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said Air Malta workers, like the Selmun Hotel workers, did not have job guarantees.
Just under two weeks ago the airline’s subsidiary company that ran Selmun Hotel sacked 58 workers.
Mr Zarb said that in a telephone conversation with Finance Minister Tonio Fenech the union was told the matter still had to be discussed while Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi on Sunday spoke of pain when referring to Air Malta.
“Workers are frustrated because they do not know what is going to happen and it is unfair to use scaremongering techniques to force them into accepting some form of early retirement scheme even if they wish to continue working,” he said.
The beleaguered airline is expected to shed 600 employees in a restructuring process that will see Air Malta operate with 10 aircraft instead of 11.
While alleging that the Ernst and Young restructuring report had cost some €3 million, Mr Zarb said the union never saw the contents of the final restructuring report sent to the EU Commission.
He played down suggestions that the offer of alternative employment may be objectionable to Brussels on the grounds that it could be deemed to be state aid.
“That is an issue government has to negotiate with Brussels but there have been other cases in the recent past when alternative employment was on offer,” Mr Zarb said.
GWU president Victor Carachi noted that EU member states bailed out private banks and government has subsidised low-cost carriers to develop new routes, insisting this was also a form of state aid.
Meanwhile, Philip Fenech, the president of the tourism sector for the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU, cautioned against industrial action that could harm Air Malta and tourism.
“Without interfering in the way the GWU defends its members’ interests, the GRTU feels industrial action may be too drastic at this sensitive time for the airline and the tourism sector and should be avoided,” Mr Fenech said.
Tomorrow the airline’s management will be meeting employees to discuss the way forward.