Disputes between Air Malta and its staff is growing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the airline’s decision to effectively ignore a previously agreed a €1,200 pay cut with their cabin crew earning the ire of Malta’s trade union federation.

Meanwhile, MaltaToday has revealed that Air Malta’s pilots were promised in 2016 that they would keep their salaries if they were forced into redundancy. The clause was introduced after the government wanted to remove the pilots’ voluntary retirement scheme.

Air Malta has so far announced plans to make 108 of its 134 pilots redundant after their union refused an offer to reduce their salaries to €1,200 a month during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter, signed on 18 August 2016 by then-Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, allegedly reads:

“The government is giving all Air Malta pilots in Malta a guarantee of work, and will actively consider a voluntary early retirement scheme to ‘right-size’ [the airline] that would be acceptable to all parties, including ALPA… the government is guaranteeing pilots that they will continue receiving a ‘take-home pay’ of their choice according to either years 2014, 2015 or 2016.”

Their collective agreement reportedly says that should they be made redundant, discussions would be held on what compensation the pilots would receive. An early retirement scheme would see pilots earn two-thirds of their basic salary, plus 0.1% of basic salary per month until reaching retirement age.

The starting salaries for Junior First Officers, First Officers, and Captains are €24,000, €34,000, and €66,000 respectively. For Captains, this can reach a maximum of €109,000. These salaries do not include other perks and allowances.

Meanwhile, more issues are brewing for Air Malta’s cabin crew. The Union of Cabin Crew had only agreed to a proposed €1,200 pay cut for their members after the airline threatened to also axe their jobs and make them redundant.

However, Air Malta has since said that the period was “no longer sufficient to give the company the reassurances it requires”, explaining that the UCC’s delays had eroded trust between the two parties.

Trade union federation FORUM has now stepped in, insisting that Air Malta must follow the conditions after an agreement was reached. The federation called on Prime Minister Robert Abela to intervene and safeguard hundreds of jobs.

“FORUM believes that this is not the time for Air Malta to play around with the jobs of these workers,” it said.