Improving the Public Service through more reforms

As part of a series of reforms aimed at further strengthening the Public Service, hundreds of workers at different levels of management of the same public service will be seeing an improvement in their working conditions.

These employees include Directors General, Chief Information Officers, Directors, and Assistant Directors. The decisions were taken following an evaluation exercise.

Principal Permanent Secretary Tony Sultana thanked Prime Minister Robert Abela for his support in this process which is leading to an improvement in conditions, including financial ones, of so many workers that are crucial for giving the citizen a better service.

Over the last two years, more than 76 collective agreements have been closed in which more than 33,000 employees have been positively affected. In fact, apart from the agreement with educators this week, in recent months agreements have also been concluded for nurses and midwives, the Police, as well as industrial and general services grades of the Public Service, among others. Some of these agreements were finalised for the first time after many years.

Mr Sultana said that the commitment for further improvement will not stop here, as the Public Service Collective Agreement for all Public Service employees is currently being negotiated for the next five years.

“All this is being done in a strategy for the public administration to continue investing in public officers where every employee, at whatever level, is considered important with invaluable skills. Together with financial conditions, emphasis is being placed on specialised training,” said Mr Sultana.

In a letter sent to every individual affected by the changes announced today, the Head of the Public Service reiterated that public officers who are leading the Public Service merit revised and improved conditions which reflect their responsibilities. He thanked all the officers and emphasised that all of them should work together for the benefit of the Public Service and for further improvements in the services provided to citizens.