Pilots ‘expect news’ on negotiations with MIA as Air Malta workers march on Castille

Speaking at the end of a march in Valletta, where hundreds of Air Malta employees, union members and the general public protested at the state of affairs at Air Malta, pilots’ association president Dominic Azzopardi said that during a meeting held last Wednesday at Castille, pilots were promised that action would be taken, and now expect that the Prime Minister delivers on this promise.

“We now expect news from these negotiations with MIA,” Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi accused low-cost giant Ryanair of coming to Malta “just for the sake of siphoning millions of euros in subsidies to the detriment of Air Malta,” and appealed to government not to let Malta become dependent on any low cost airline.

Forum president John Bencini accused Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi of “buying votes” from Air Malta employees by promising them peace of mind on their jobs prior to the last elections.

General Workers’ Union secretary-general Tony Zarb also addressed the protest accused government of being insensitive by allowing Air Malta workers be taken over by anxiety for so many weeks, by leaving them despair at the prospect of losing their jobs.

Zarb insisted that government must provide alternative employment bto those workers who will unfortunately lose their jobs at the airline and refuse early retirement schemes.

He accused  Malta International Airport for being “ruthless” in granting preferential treatment to low cost carriers rather than invest in the national airline.

David Sargent from the Union of Cabin Crew, said that workers could not be made to carry the blame for an accrued €110 million in losses that were made by huge management errors over the last five years.

He asked for answers as to why nobody took any action for the past eight months, and the airline continued to falter.

John Camilleri, from the Association of Airline Engineers, appealed to the airline’s management to find solutions to protect the airline’s social role in the economy.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat, Labour MPs and members from the Malta Union of Teachers also attended.