Referring to the Prime Minister’s declarations on Air Malta last Sunday, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Prof. Arnold Cassola said: “Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has declared that he has kept in place the whole Air Malta management as appointed by a PN government so that if the airline goes bust the workers can go and ask Tonio Fenech for satisfaction. This is no way for the Prime Minister to address the issue. Air Malta might be in its present predicament because of the ineptitude of the previous Nationalist government, but the Prime Minister today is Joseph Muscat and he must not shirk off his responsibility. Air Malta is a time bomb waiting to explode and Dr Joseph Muscat must manifest his respect towards the Air Malta workers by convincing them, and the whole Maltese population, that he is really taking the bull by the horns.”
Carmel Cacopardo, AD Deputy Chairperson, added that Government must lay its cards on the table. In particular it is expected to be clear as to whether it is planning to privatise Air Malta as well as to whether it has a strategic partner in mind. AD, said Cacopardo, expects Government to proceed differently from the way it did in the Enemalta Corporation privitisation as a result of which China has a 35% share of Malta’s Energy Corporation. If it selects the privitisation path it should enter negotiations with different companies after a public call for expressions of interest in order to get the best deal for the benefit of Air Malta workers, for the tourist industry and for the Maltese islands.
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B’referenza għal dak li qal il-Prim Ministru dwar l-Air Malta l-Ħadd li għadda, iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “Il-Prim Ministru Joseph Muscat qal li żamm il-management kollu tal-Air Malta kif maħtur mill-PN biex jekk il-linja tal-ajru tfalli, il-ħaddiema jkunu jistgħu imorru għand Tonio Fenech għas-sodisfazzjon. Dan mhux mod ta’ kif il-Prim Ministru jrid jindirizza din il-kwistjoni. L-Air Malta jista’ jkun li qegħda fiex qegħda minħabba l-inkompetenza tal-Gvern ta’ qabel, imma llum il-Prim Ministru huwa Joseph Muscat u ma jistax ifarfar mir-responsabbiltajiet tiegħu. L-Air Malta qiegħda f’sitwazzjoni ta’ tħassib serju li tista’ tisplodi fil-futur u Dr Joseph Muscat jeħtieg li juri rispett lejn il-ħaddiema tal-Air Malta billi jikkonvinċi lilhom u lill-poplu Malti kollu li hu kapaċi jsolvi din il-problema b’mod effettiv.”
Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ AD, żied li l-Gvern jeħtieg li jpoġġi l-karti fuq il-mejda. B’mod partikulari huwa mistenni li jkun ċar rigward jekk hux qiegħed jippjana li jiprivatizza l-Air Malta kif ukoll jekk għandux xi sieħeb strateġiku f’moħħu. AD, qal Cacopardo, tistenna li l-Gvern jimxi b’mod differenti minn kif mexa fil-każ tal-privatizzazzjoni tal-Enemalta, li bħala konsegwenza wassal biex iċ-Ċina għandha 35% sehem mill-korporazzjoni Maltija tal-enerġija. Jekk il-gvern jagħżel it-triq tal-privatizzazzjoni, irid jidħol f’negozjati ma’ kumpaniji differenti wara sejħa pubblika għal espressjoni ta’ interess biex jilħaq l-aħjar ftehim għall-beneficcju tal-ħaddiema tal-Air Malta, għall-industrija tat-turiżmu u għall-gżejjer Maltin.
