GWU section secretary optimistic on overtime pay

The General Workers' Union section secretary responsible for the shipyards, Charles Agius, is optimistic that talks could lead to shipyard foremen and supervisors to be paid overtime once again.

In a petition, 125 foremen and supervisors at the Malta Shipyards, all members of the GWU, threatened to join the Union Haddiema Maghqudin or form a house union unless the GWU heeds their claims.

Their main bone of contention is that they want to be paid for overtime.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Agius said an agreement due to be signed between the union, the government and shipyards clarifies certain provisions found in the collective agreement and "actually solves some of the issues the supervisors and foremen are raising".

But sources close to Malta Shipyards said overtime payment was out of the question because the collective agreement stipulated that general foremen and supervisors would become "non-overtime grades" and that they would receive a Lm1,000 pay rise to substitute payment for overtime.

But Mr Agius still remained optimistic. "We are discussing the issue and will inform those who signed the petition about the outcome," he said.

Sources close to the foremen said the overtime issue was one of the demands made by shipyard workers before Mr Agius was elected section secretary.

The foremen sent their petition to the union and shipyard management pre-empting the signing of an agreement that has been discussed between the union, management and Investments Minister Austin Gatt for over a year.

The shipyard management expressed concern about the petition as it raised matters that went against both the collective agreement signed by the union and also against the agreement due to be concluded shortly.