Air Malta pilots register dispute with management

 Airline pilots' union ALPA has instructed its members on a symbolic dress-down after it registered an industrial dispute with national airline Air Malta.

Pilots will be reporting for duty without jacket, tie and cap in an action that will not disrupt flight operations, after the union demanded an urgent meeting with management over the cancellation of approved leave and requested leave.

"During these summer months ALPA members have been demonstrating a lot of flexibility for day-to-day operations not to be affected in any way. However, ALPA will not limit itself to any further action if deemed necessary," the union said in a statement this morning.

Yesterday, Air Malta chief executive officer Peter Davies dubbed the industrial dispute "pathetic" in an email he sent to airline chairman Ray Fenech.

ALPA insists the cancellation of leave is in breach of its negotiated agreements with the airline. "Several attempts have been made by ALPA to protect its members and their rights as expressly mentioned in the collective agreement, however procrastination from Air Malta's management led ALPA with no other option than to file this dispute," the union said.

ALPA filed the dispute over its members' pensions, and to clarify a clause in the collective agreement regarding computation of service. "However, Air Malta's procrastination is also manifested in other issues that affect the rights and conditions of employment of ALPA members," the union added.

During the past year the crew compliment of Air Malta was reduced by 16 pilots and for the last few months most of its pilots have been working on an excessive amount of off-days, the union said.

"This will inevitably lead to crew fatigue. This demonstrates that there is crew shortage, something which ALPA pointed out to the management on numerous occasions, both before releasing pilots on early retirement schemes and before releasing pilots to work for other airlines.

"Crew shortage is most probably the reason why recently pilots have been denied approved leave slots for the months of August and September, which is a manifest breach of collective agreement between Air Malta and ALPA."