A new collective agreement has been sealed for around a thousand workers of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS), which strengthens the professionals and workers of this Foundation not only with better conditions and fair increases that reflect the realities of today but also enhances the career progress of these workers by improving the training and personal development of all FSWS workers. Before the signed agreement spoke the Prime Minister Robert Abela, who claimed that in order to carry out together even in the social sector, we must see that everyone is valued as they deserve and has the chance to move forward.
In the presence of many FSWS workers, the Prime Minister noted how this agreement recognizes the good these workers do with the love they have and show towards their work and their clients. Dr. Abela stressed that this is not an isolated collective agreement and recalled how important collective and sectoral agreements were sealed in recent years. “To the families we strengthen them by giving the best protection, resources and the tools that are the workers themselves,” said Prime Minister Abela. He meant the FSWS workers as catalysts to be there for the person to get up on his feet and move forward and he said that this is an agreement that invests in workers who are of service to the people and make a positive change in their lives the people. “As a lawyer who practiced in the Family Court, I recognize how much you as workers are able to offer hope to those who have given up,” said Dr. Abela. The Prime Minister also thanked the leadership of the FSWS and the U ħ M Voice of the Workers, as the representatives of the workers, who in the discussions for a five-year agreement, sought a common goal in favor of the interest of -workers and the society that borders on the service provided by the same workers.
Before the signing of the agreement, the Minister for Social Policy and Children’s Rights, Michael Falzon said that this agreement continues to strengthen career progress in this very important profession for our country. “Furthermore, this collective agreement is an essential and vital part of the management chain, where most of these professionals are either graduates or have many years of experience or both and therefore, this should be recognized by the facts and with an improvement in salaries and conditions , ” stated Minister Michael Falzon.
The Chief Executive of the FSWS, Alfred Grixti stressed that in these type of negotiations it is not a question of who wins and who loses, but it is a situation where everyone wants to win. “In our case it must be an agreement that does not forget our customers, to more than 23,000 vulnerable people that we have the honor and privilege to help and accompany them every day”, said Grixti.
The General Secretary of UHM Voice of the Workers Josef Vella also spoke, who praised the work of social workers who do so much good in silence, with emotional weight and work without hours. “It is an honor for us as UHM to sign such agreements that will continue to improve the conditions of around a thousand workers. How much fruit you make and the quality of the fruit depends on the work of the workers themselves, and therefore I call for greater work in this very important sector, ” said Vella.
Presiding over the signing of the collective agreement together with Prime Minister Abela and Minister Falzon were the Permanent Secretaries Joyce Cassar and Mark Musù.
Photos: DOI/OPM
