Air Malta works council holds first meeting

Abstract

A works council started operations at Air Malta, the national airline, in January 2005. It was created as a result of a rescue plan agreed in May 2004, and is the first body of its kind to be established in a Maltese company. Air Malta underwent a major restructuring exercise in 2004 (MT0405102F (//www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/negotiations-over-airmalta- restructuring)), with a collective agreement on a 'rescue plan' signed by management and workers’ representatives in May (MT0407101N (//www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/air-malta-rescue-planagreed)). This agreement provided for the setting up of a works council to help ensure that the national airline’s targets are reached and to enhance the dialogue between unions and management. The first meeting of this works council was held on 27 January 2005. The works council consists of representatives of Air Malta’s management and a 'central representative council' (CRC), which incorporates the workers’ representatives. The various categories of workers at Air Malta have been divided into six colleges who elect or nominate their representatives to the CRC. The CRC is composed of four representatives from the General Workers’ Union (GWU (http://www.gwu.org.mt/)), one representative each form of the Union of Cabin Crew (UCC), the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), and the Association of Airline Engineers (AEE), and a representative of staff at outstations.