ALPA files criminal complaint against Air Malta officials

The Airline Pilots Association has filed a judicial protest in order to hold Air Malta p.l.c. responsible for allegedly acting contrary to the terms of the warrant of prohibitory injunction issued by the Courts last Sunday, 7 June, 2020.

The association said it is also holding the company responsible for “its dealings in bad faith and the irreparable damage which this is causing our members”.

In addition, the association said it also filed a criminal complaint to both the Director General for Industrial and Employment Relations, as well as the Commissioner of Police, requesting an investigation into the conduct and dealings of the directors, managers and other officials of Air Malta p.l.c..

This, the association said, is in relation to the collective redundancies contemplated by the company and with regard to the “illegal unilateral variation of the conditions of employment of the employees retained, prior to reaching an agreement to this effect with the association.”

This comes after yet another criminal complaint, filed on 24 May, 2019, in relation to Air Malta’s alleged failure to allow our members to avail themselves of their statutory leave entitlement over the past years, as well as the company’s alleged failure to pay wages.

Regrettably, the association said, no action was taken by the relative authorities in this respect and the company has opted to ignore the issue completely. ALPA said it remains determined to safeguard the conditions of employment of all its members without distinction and will resort to all means necessary in order to protect their interests.

Air Malta has made 69 of its pilots redundant, arguing that the Airline pilots’ union (ALPA) “failed to cooperate.” Air Malta stated that talks with ALPA on measures to avoid redundancies in order to safeguard its ongoing sustainability and viability, failed.