This statement is being issued jointly with the CMTU, the For.U.M., the GWU and the UHM Voice of the Workers.
In a meeting between the Government and the four unions, the For.U.M., the GWU, the UHM Voice of the Workers and the CMTU, an agreement was reached that the Public Administration workers get an increase on the existing increase of the Collective Agreements, with the aim that the service workers and the public sector have taken an adjustment to the COLA, even though the Collective Agreements already have the COLA included.
This meeting was held after a request that the four unions had made to the Prime Minister. In this way, the amount of €6.41 per week will be increased with the addition of the Collective Agreement for the year 2024, in order to reflect the effect of the COLA of €12.81 per week. Each scale in the Collective Agreement for Public Officials will be equally given a top up of €6.41 per week on top of the existing increase. This will also be applied in the Public Sector where all workers will be given the same top up.
With regard to the relativity for Public Officials this will be discussed in the first quarter of the year 2024, as discussions begin for the Collective Agreement that closes at the end of 2024. With regard to the Public Sector, the discussions will take place when the Agreement has reached the term to expire so as not to create any unequal treatment between the workers in the Public Administration.
The unions will be seeing the impact of relativity on the various Collective Agreements in the Public Sector and will be addressing any such negative impact with the Public Administration.
On the part of the Government, the meeting was led by Prime Minister Robert Abela together with the Minister for Finance Clyde Caruana, the Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul, the Chief Permanent Secretary Tony Sultana and the Permanent Secretary within the Office of the Prime Minister Joyce Cassar.
From the unions’ side there was Pawlu Pace on behalf of the For.U.M., Josef Bugeja on behalf of the GWU, Josef Vella on behalf of the UHM Voice of the Workers and William Portelli on behalf of the CMTU.
