Negotiations start over public service collective agreement

Abstract

In December 2004, the first meetings regarding the renewal of the collective agreement for Malta's public service employees indicated that there are major divergences in the perspectives of the government and trade unions. The government is Malta’s largest employer. In April-June 2004, 30,962 people (19,460 men and 11,502 women) were employed in government departments and ministries. These constitute 21.2% of the Maltese labour force. This figure excludes independent statutory bodies set up by government and companies with a majority public shareholding, which conclude separate collective agreements. Public service employees are represented (MT0404102F (//www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/thedevelopment- and-current-situation-of-trade-unions-1)) by: two general trade unions - the General Workers’ Union (GWU (http://www.gwu.org.mt/)) and the Union of United Workers (Union Haddiema Maghqudin, UHM (http://www.uhm.org.mt/)); and four occupational unions - the Malta Union of Nurses and Midwives (MUMN (http://www.mumn.org/)), the Malta Union of Professional Psychologists (MUPP), the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT (http://www.mut.org.mt/)) and the Medical Association of Malta (MAM (http://www.mam.org.mt/)). The existing public service collective agreement expired on 31 December 2004.