Minister for Finance Clyde Caruana was on fire in Parliament yesterday, denouncing what he described as both current and past political mistakes that have led many people to lose trust in politicians. Speaking in the context of the demands being made by the Airline Pilots Association, he said that governments cannot adopt a policy or reach an agreement and then alter it on the eve of an election to appease voters and constituents.
ALPA’s has an ongoing dispute with the successor of Air Malta, KM Malta Airlines, over conditions and salaries, however the Minister is insisting that the union is bound by an agreement until 2028. After negotiations stalled, the pilots’ union issued industrial directives and eventually took legal action, prompting strong criticism from the government. The union has been criticised for greed over early retirement terms, while concerns also arose from tourism and business groups about the impact on operations and Malta’s connectivity.
Pilots at KM Airlines earn around €115,000 to €157,000 per year while previous Air Malta pilots were awarded early retirement schemes ranging from €599,000 to €911,000.
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