Air Malta yesterday filed a warrant of prohibitory injunction against the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) due to an industrial dispute registered by the union.

Following the signing of a new collective agreement in January of this year, the company and ALPA have been in discussions on the interpretation of various parts of the collective agreement. The way ALPA is interpreting these clauses is deemed disadvantageous and unfair to Air Malta, a statement by the airline read.

Over the past months ALPA has issued several 'recommendations' to its members to follow restrictive practices that limit flexibility and productivity. "These 'recommendations' have negatively affected the Airline and its customers and caused delays on several flights. A case in point, last month (on the 19th September) the airline even had to cancel a flight to Paris Orly due to the inflexibility created by these 'recommendations' whereby ALPA advised its members not to accept the flight on an off-day when all standby pilots called in sick."

The Airline has strongly condemned the actions taken by ALPA and said that it will do everything in its power to protect its interests and those of its passengers and minimise any disruptions.

Yesterday morning the Company filed a warrant of prohibitory injunction on the basis that the Union did not follow the mandatory conciliation and arbitration procedures laid down in the collective agreement. 

ALPA responds

ALPA reacted to Air Malta's statement, arguing that contrary to what Air Malta states, "the injunction is with reference to a dispute filed last Friday by the union"

The dispute is about: "the discriminatory way a pilot was suspended; Air Malta issuing illegal rosters which inherently cause pilot fatigue levels; Air Malta not having enough pilots to guarantee the minimum number of Days OFF (104 per year). This is shown in the court documents."

 

 "ALPA cannot understand why Air Malta issued such a false statement."