Court stops Air Malta pilots from taking industrial action

A court has upheld a request by national airline Air Malta to prohibit its pilots from taking industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions of work.

The Airline Pilots Association, ALPA, had said that the industrial action, which would have seen flights delayed by 30 minutes, was called in the interest of both the company and the union. The union claimed that talks between the two parties could not proceed with the participation of Emvic Debono, the airline’s Chief Flight Operations Officer.

But in a decision handed down by Mr Justice Toni Abela, the court said it was only required to find whether the company had a right which deserved to be protected at a prima facie level and whether the elements required for the injunction existed.

READ ALSO: Air Malta calls pilots’ claim of threats ‘a cover-up’

Abela said that after examining the evidence in detail, Air Malta had managed to prove at the required level that this was indeed the case.

Court confirms Air Malta's rights are to be protected in terms of law. Injunction against ALPA definitively upheld. Abuse of right to strike curtailed.

— Konrad Mizzi (@KonradMizzi) July 23, 2019

Without going into detail, the court ruled that the injunction, which had been provisionally upheld upon its presentation, was to stand and that ALPA be prohibited from taking industrial action.

The decision was welcomed by Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, who tweeted that the "abuse of the right to strike had been curtailed."