Pilots' union says Air Malta has only offered redundancies

Money is not the main concern for Air Malta pilots in collective agreement talks with the company, a lawyer representing the pilots’ union said today.
Speaking at a press conference after presenting a reply to an Air Malta request in court for an injunction to stop industrial action, lawyer Edward Gatt said the pilots’ fundamental right to form part of a union was being attacked.
“The right to association cannot be attacked, it is a fundamental right enjoyed by all workers. It is dangerous to try and curtail this right, it is a threat,” Dr Gatt said. 
Dominic Azzopardi, president of the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), said that pilots had always done their job professionally.
He said that the pilots had Air Malta’s best interests at heart and were not seeking to damage the airline. He pointed out, however, that pilot redundancies had not been ruled out.

In a statement, the association said earlier that Air Malta's request for a ban on industrial action was shocking to all those who held workers' rights dear.
"ALPA will not be gagged by this threat to democracy and the constitutional and fundamental right of association," the union said. 
It said that contrary to the...