With a pandemic creating havoc in the world and lockdowns have halted social activities, many companies and organizations are laying off their staff to cut down their expenses.
According to reports of Baaghi TV, 80% of Air Malta’s pilots are getting laid off from Tuesday while no replacement or arrangements have been made for them. Air Malta plans to keep only 26% of the pilots and will be laying off 80% of the cockpit staff at no charge.
Since the National Airline, like most of its counterparts around the world, is almost completely grounded by the COVID-19 crisis, it has formally given notice of widespread theft among its pilots, which goes into effect from Tuesday 21st April.
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The airline is taking the stand that it offers the possibility of keeping all of its pilots despite the crisis, only if they agree that they will reduce their salaries for a month to $ 1,200. Whereas, on average, pilots earn $ 10,000 a month.
Air Malta said, however, that the union representing pilots ALPA rejected the offer.
In a letter sent to the Director of Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) announcing the dismissal of 108 pilots, the airline’s head of human resources James Janos made it clear that the company had no possible solution other than to go down.
Junos pointed out to DIER that he had chosen pilots who would be fired on the basis of ‘last in principle’ and insisted that the company had no intention of offering a separate package. Though it is obligated to do so.
The relationship between Air Malta and its pilots has always been ideal. Air Malta pilots, who are paid well over the average Maltese salary, insist on behaving like other airline pilots, while the airline (under different management) threatened them with industrial action threats and accused of stopping the ransom.
Stay tuned for more updates!
