The Association of Airline Engineers (Malta) signed a collective agreement with Lufthansa Technik Malta Ltd last week.

The AAE was registered as a trade union in 2001 and represents over 80 engineers employed with both Air Malta and Lufthansa Technik Malta. It is affiliated to Aircraft Engineers International (www.airengineers.org).

The collective agreement covers working conditions for engineers employed with LTM for the period 2007-2012.

However, the signing of the agreement was in doubt up to almost the last minute. While the LTM engineers who belong to the union voted three weeks ago heavily in favour of signing it, the union’s executive committee refused to sign it. It was only when the LTM engineers threatened to move to another union that the executive agreed to the signing.

It would seem that it was opposition from the Air Malta engineers members of the union that was blocking the signing. Apparently there was concern that Air Malta may squeeze its engineers out and outsource its engineering work to LTM. Air Malta engineers, who could thus find themselves being made to join LTM, would face a lower starting salary and different working conditions, including less leave and a flexitime schedule.

LTM is fully engaged on a major project that will see a new maintenance facility created in Malta by 2008 to cater for wide-body A330 and A340 aircraft. This is in addition to the narrow-body B737 and A319/A320/A321 that LTM currently maintains.

The AAE strongly supports this initiative. AAE members were instrumental in the establishment of the company in 2003 and are proud to be associated with this ambitious expansion project.