G4S employees performing security and clerical duties at Mater Dei, as well as car parkers, will not necessarily be paid the equivalent wages of government employees performing the same duties, the General Workers Union said. It said this was because this was not being stipulated in their tender as had been agreed 11 months ago.

The said in a statement this afternoon that, because of this, it was registering an industrial dispute with the hospital’s management and the Health authorities following the latter’s decision not to stipulate in the tender that

The union said that in February, the hospital management had agreed in writing that the some 300 G4S workers assigned at the hospital would have their wages increased to the level of government employees performing the same duties and that such a clause would be included in the tender.

It said that, in the coming weeks, it would be calling a meeting for the workers involved to consider actions that could be taken to remedy the situation.