Air Malta said yesterday that it is a responsible employer and refuses to be drawn into issues that may have arisen between different trade unions.
The airline was replying to the General Workers’ Union, after the GWU registered an industrial dispute with the company, in connection with the situation regarding airport handlers and business support assistants.
The union said the management has not replied to questions it asked about these categories of workers, who recently received a letter from the airline's chairman telling them that their payment would be issued on an ex-gratia basis, and when the cheque was cashed it would mean that the workers had no other pending claims against the company.
The GWU said it asked the chairman directly about allegations that the company was holding talks behind its back with another union, which did not have sole recognition at Air Malta. However, the chairman did not reply, the union added.
In a press release issued last night, Air Malta said that it refuses to get involved in issues that may have arisen between different trade unions. The company said that the airline recently addressed a situation involving around 120 staff members, who had joined the airline as Business Support Assistants and Airport Handlers in 2003. Air Malta said it had brought these workers’ conditions in line with those employees carrying out the same duties.
The company said that last Wednesday it received a number of queries from the General Workers Union (GWU) about issues related to industrial representation on this matter which is of no concern to the company.
The airline said that after the GWU informed them that it had registered an industrial action at Air Malta, citing the matter in caption, it officially replied to the union stating that:
• Air Malta, as a responsible employer, refuses to draw itself into issues that may have arisen between different trade Unions on the matter, and will not comment in this regard.
• The airline also explained to the GWU that it had sent a letter to Airport Handlers and Business Support Assistants informing them of the airline's decision to address working conditions within the company.
• Air Malta said that the title of Airport Handlers and Business Support Assistants is subject to negotiations on the Collective Agreement and therefore, until there is a formal agreement on this, the company will not change the title grades of both Airport Handlers and Business Support Assistants.