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During an afternoon programme on Super 1 television, Felix Agius, the editor of the daily newspaper l-Orizzont appeared as a guest, together with the programme presenter Alfred Zammit to discuss the reasons why the GWU called it a day and abandoned the discussions on the Social Pact for Malta within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, the MCSED.
Unfortunately, both Mr Felix Agius and Mr Alfred Zammit tried very hard to send out wrong information to their televiewers, particularly on the following two items.
They both tried very hard to give the impression that the UHM was in some way in favour and agreed that the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which in 2005 will be Lm1.75 per week, should be given only to minimum wage earners.
They also insinuated that the UHM was in some way in favour and agreed that workers should have their vacation leave deducted by seven days per year.
The truth is that the UHM was always and still is against the proposal regarding COLA. Subsequently the proposal was dropped and all the social partners agreed that workers will get an increase of Lm 1.75 per week as from January 01, 2005 irrespective of their present salaries.
Regarding the deduction of vacation leave entitlement, the UHM was always and still does not agree with this proposal. This proposal, which is still being discussed, recommends that Public Holidays which fall on Saturdays and Sundays in the years 2005, 2006 and 2007, that is, seven days in three years and not seven days in one year, as was suggested in the above-mentioned programme, should not be added to the other Vacation Leave.
The Union Haddiema Maghqudin still has a lot of reservations about the MCESD Chairman’s report, but it will never abandon or refuse to sit around the negotiating table, which is the only place where solutions are to found.
At the beginning of this year, two demonstrations against unemployment were held by the GWU. How many jobs were created as a direct or as an indirect result of those demonstrations?
Lino Vassallo – Union Haddiema Maghqudin Secretary for Hotels, Food and Beverages
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