The GWU Secretary General Josef Bugeja, and the Deputy Secretary General Kevin Camilleri, described the first meeting that the Union had with the Air Malta Aviation Services after their industrial actions were suspended as “cordial and satisfactory.”
“It was a meeting where we as General Workers’ Union brought forward our complaints, rgarding difficulties that our members working within the Air Malta Aviation Services Limited are facing. Next week, we’re going to commence a series of continous meetings between management and the workers’ representatives within the GWU, so that these anomalies and difficulties which we’re currenlty facing, are tackled.”
Bugeja and Camilleri stated that what’s being asked the GWU, is taking consideration the effects brought about by the economic crisis and the Covid-10 pandemic, and the direct effect that this had on all operations of the national airline.
“Notwithstanding this, we belive that there is a concrete foundation on which these meetings and discussions can take place. Therefore, we remain optimisitc about the upcoming days.”
It was reported yesterday that, after a direct intervention by Silvio Schembri, the Minister for Economy, Investment and Small Enterprises, the GWU suspended its industrial actions that it had called wiithin the national airline. These actions were brought about, after a lack of agreement between changes made to the workers’ roster within AAS. While a solution has yet to be found, sources within the national airline sustained the GWU’s commnts, and stated that they remain optimistic on the possibility of reaching a compromise and a deal.
Last Friday, after a meeting with the GWU and the airline’s management, that the Union gave a deadline for the Air Malta to reply to its demands regarding the difficulties and anomalies currenlty plaguing the workers’ schedule.
After the company refused to propose concrete answers, but rather called for another meeting to be heldm the GWU published an advice of a possible industrial action. The proposed meeting with the airline still took place, with the aim of coming up with solutions, however an agreement never materialised, so much so that the AAS outright refused to discuss the roster. And it is here that the GWU decided to call for industrial action to be taken, so that the best interests of its members can be safeguarded.
