Air Malta cabin crew to maintain jobs after making concessions in negotiations

Air Malta’s Union of Cabin Crew members have approved a financial package proposed by the airline, putting pressure on the airline pilots’ association (ALPA) to follow suit.

In a message on Facebook this evening, Economy minister Silvio Schembri welcomed the news, following the ‘long and difficult’ negotiations between the two parties involved.

“The negotiations have resulted in the workers making some concessions but no workers will be losing their job,” he said.

In April, Air Malta had announced it would be making 108 pilots from its staff of 134 redundant, after ALPA refused to take a radical pay cut of €1,200 a month due to the coronavirus grounding all flights.

The airline had said it would also make 139 cabin crew on indefinite contracts redundant, and stop 145 cabin crew on fixed-term contracts.

In his Facebook post, Schembri thanked the cabin crew for their ‘sacrifice’, saying this would allow the airline to be more competitive.

“Because of them, we can save the national airline,” he said. “Now all that’s left is for ALPA to also agree to help lower the company’s operating costs.”

It is as yet unclear what the ‘sacrifice’ UCC members had to make in the negotiations entails. Attempts to contact Schembri or union representatives proved unsuccessful.