The Communist Party comments on the situation at Air Malta

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The Communist Party of Malta agrees with the proposal being put forward to set up a steering committee, where all trade unions representing Air Malta employees will be included. In other circumstances the Maltese Government acted on its own initiative, without any consultation, such as, in the case of Sea Malta, the Postal Service and the Gas Service, were privatization was the sole consideration.

“For once, the Centre Right Government is admitting that the national airline is of a major strategic importance to Malta, both for the economy and for the social wellbeing of the Maltese people.”

“The introduction of new laws to deregulate the aviation market in the European Union in the early 1990s has altered the service for more cost cuttings, inferior working conditions and the dismantling of national airlines across Europe. The shift towards 'budget' airlines has brought significant changes. Airlines such as Easy Jet and Ryanair have grown at the expense of the traditional national airlines. This growth was brought about as a direct cause of the neo liberal policies of the European Union.”

We believe that the Government should stop ‘outsourcing’ work to private entities, as part of the reform, as this work could be performed by Air Malta Employees, as was done in the past. This managerial behaviour is resulting in losses to the company. We suggest that measures are taken to minimize direct competition by low cost airline, to avoid having a duplication of destinations from the two airlines operating from Malta airport. The policy taken to privatise Malta International Airport has negatively affected our Airlines.

The Communist Party of Malta appeals to the Maltese Government to protect our National Airline and ensure that no worker is made redundant throughout the reform.