The General Workers’ Union has formally warned Resource Support & Services Ltd (RSSL) that it intends to order industrial action involving employees covered by a collective agreement, amid an ongoing dispute over working conditions, benefits and three-and-a-half years of arrears.The dispute concerns RSSL employees who previously worked for Air Malta, with the GWU saying its members have rejected a proposed agreement in its current form.The union said it convened an information meeting with affected workers to explain and discuss the proposed agreement, after which members made their opposition clear.According to the GWU, the proposals being put forward by RSSL remain “far removed” from those presented by the union during negotiations.One of the GWU’s major concerns surrounds benefits and conditions contained in the existing collective agreement.The union warned that some of the proposals under discussion could lead to existing benefits and conditions being reduced or removed.It argued that documentation governing the agreement specifies that existing monetary benefits should not be reduced or withdrawn, and is insisting that these conditions be safeguarded in any new agreement.Another sticking point is the issue of arrears.The GWU said RSSL is not considering paying arrears covering a period of three-and-a-half years, during which the collective agreement had expired and negotiations remained pending.The union said it has raised its concerns with the company on several occasions, including during industrial dispute proceedings before the Director for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER), but claimed the main issues remain unresolved.It has now formally notified RSSL that unless it receives a satisfactory response addressing the outstanding issues, industrial action will be ordered involving all employees covered by the collective agreement.The GWU also warned that it is reserving the right to escalate the dispute further through legal and industrial channels.However, the union said the door remains open to further talks, maintaining that it is willing to continue negotiations in an attempt to reach an agreement which protects employees’ rights, benefits and working conditions.Do you think the former Air Malta employees should receive the three-and-a-half years of arrears being sought by the union?•