More flexible work hours for Air Malta cabin crew after late-night deal

Air Malta’s cabin crew union boss says govt has agreed to its requests for more flexible working hours and promised not to lay off staff, but business deal with Alitalia remains elusive. Cabin crew union (UCC) president Noel Mercieca said that tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis has promised that workers’ take-home pay will not be reduced, but that their salaries will be adjusted according to their working hours, in line with the union’s demands. This means that cabin crew who work longer hours can be expected to earn higher salaries than what they are currently earning. None of Air Malta’s 250 or so cabin crew will be fired, but all of them will be offered a strictly voluntary retirement scheme. “This is only the start of discussions and the real negotiations are yet to begin,” Mercieca said. <br/>