Arriva drivers’ representative demanded pilot wages - Tony Zarb

Arriva employees representative Samwel Grech, expected the company's drivers to be paid the same salary as airplane pilots, a request which could have never been agreed to by Arriva, GWU Secretary General Tony Zarb told court.

Magistrate Francesco Depasquale was hearing Zarb's libel case against Victor Camilleri, editor of newspaper il-Mument, head of PN media Nathaniel Attard and Samwel Grech.

The two are accused of publishing contradictory, deceitful and slanderous allegations following an interview with Samuel Grech, the president of a small union representing Arriva workers.

Taking the witness stand, the Union's Secretary General explained how the GWU was in discussions over a collective agreement with Arriva.

"Grech alleged that I either do not try hard enough or I was working against the interests of the workers. However, here is the agreement signed with Arriva", Zarb said, exhibiting the collective agreement the union secured with the company.

Zarb went on to explain how Grech had demanded that drivers are paid the same salary as airline pilots. Furthermore, Grech expected that the raise in wages the company agreed upon should be applied retroactively from the first year of the agreement.

"This was impossible as it entailed a raise of over €80 weekly, and the company would not agree to that", Zarb held.

Once the discussions with Arriva were concluded, the union members voted for the proposed agreement. In a secret vote, over 90% of employees agreed with the agreement, and this was duly signed.

The witness stated that Grech's comments that Zarb gives his blessing to precarious employment is defamatory.

"I was one of the pioneers in the fight against precarious work and will never agree to that sort of employment", Zarb said.

The witness also explained how the cost of living is always taken into consideration in salary raises agreed upon in collective agreements. "If the cost of living adjustment is higher that the raise agreed in the agreement, the employees get the higher of the two", the union boss explained.