Looks like Air Malta staff are going to be palmed off on the taxpayer

Published: May 2, 2016 at 8:42pm

The General Workers Union says it won’t stand for Air Malta staff losing their jobs when a significant stake in the national airline is sold.

Of course, the GWU will have no say once ownership changes that significantly, but it can still hold the government to ransom by threatening national strikes and so on. It’s unlikely to do that, though, with Big Chief Muscat in power.

We discovered three days ago that Enemalta’s €17 million wage bill was shifted to the taxpayer when 700 of the energy corporation’s employees were transferred out and onto the public sector payroll. This allowed the Chinese government, which now owns a big chunk of Enemalta, to save money which ordinary Maltese people are paying instead.

And the President – manifesting her loyalties as the archetype of Old Labour – agreed to having 40 engineers transferred to the state palaces as gardeners.

GWU boss Josef Bugeja (left) with his predecessor Tony Zarb.

GWU boss Josef Bugeja (left) with his predecessor Tony Zarb.