GWU boycotts PM's reception

The General Workers' Union's public service section said yesterday it will not be attending the Christmas reception hosted by the Prime Minister today.

The union said it was taking this decision to express its solidarity with civil servants who once again have not been permitted to hold Christmas parties.

The GWU's protest was also directed at the manner things have turned out regarding the collective agreement for public sector employees.

The GWU noted that a meeting between trade unions and the government came to an unfruitful end because the government kept insisting on its proposals to freeze wages and increments for the next three years and remove the current facility for three years leave for persons who reached retirement age.

Regarding the collective agreement, the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions yesterday expressed its concern about the fact that the government's proposals would lead to a deterioration in the conditions of work.

The CMTU said that once the budget had placed additional burdens on the workers, public service workers should not be made to carry more burdens.

The CMTU appealed to the government to continue without delay the talks with the unions on the collective agreement.