(CTN News) – Due to the fact that the government has rejected KM Malta Airlines’ request for transparency through the Freedom of Information Act, the agreements that the airline made with pilots and cabin personnel will continue to be kept in a very secret manner.
In the response, “commercial interests” and “data protection” were mentioned as explanations for the decision to withhold the material. To add insult to injury, the government has determined that the terms of salary are not considered to be a part of the definition of “a document” as outlined in Article 2 of Cap. 496.
According to court orders that The Shift has been disputing as rejections of Freedom of Information Act rights, the term “a document” that the government now uses does not apply to this particular case.
It has been repeatedly demonstrated that the administration has displayed complete and utter contempt for the directives issued by the court, and a number of departments have responded in the same manner. In addition, this was established as a consequence of the ministry’s request for an extension in order to offer responses to requests.
It was requested by the KM Malta shift that all contracts between the government and KM Malta Airlines that were related to the employment of pilots and cabin staff be made available to this shift. Contracts for employment were among the records that were included, although they were not the only ones.
Additionally, the Shift requested that the public be informed of the considerations that were taken into account while determining the salaries of KM Malta Airlines employees.
KM Malta Airlines, owned by the government,
It has not recognized any of the unions that formerly represented Air Malta employees. This is related to the fact that there is currently no collective agreement in place regarding the topic.
When crew members and pilots of Air KM Malta transferred to the ‘new’ airline, they were required to sign legal releases that prohibited them from suing to restore their rights, according to an article that was published by The Shift.
After the waivers were signed, new employment contracts were negotiated with KM Malta. These negotiations took place simultaneously. Changes in working conditions were implemented for those who were employed by Air Malta as a result of the contracts.
Everyone involved in the move has stayed mute, despite the fact that there have been concerns regarding the manner in which the new airline will continue to operate.
Because contracts would not be transferred immediately, pilots and cabin workers who had previously worked for the airline that is now closed would be allowed to apply for employment at the new airline under different terms.
KM Malta employment terms, however, would be different.
In order for them to be in compliance with these agreements, they would be required to sign legal disclaimers, accept settlement offers, and relinquish any legal claims that are now active. This would avoid them having to file a lawsuit against either the previous airline or the new one.
The pilots’ secret side agreement, which they signed in 2018, became a major issue of contention in the legal dispute that they are currently engaged in. In accordance with the terms of the agreement, the government provided the pilots with “job guarantees” under the same conditions that they were already doing well in and enjoying.
A number of Air KM Malta pilots have withdrawn their participation in a case that is currently being heard against Prime Minister Robert Abela, which is evidence that agreements have been reached outside of the courtroom. It was only a few days before the airline’s final flight that this actually took place.
It demonstrates that additional funds from taxpayers were spent in order to carry out a covert agreement that was signed by former Minister Konrad Mizzi and Robert Abela, who was serving as the government’s personal lawyer at the time.
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