GWU, local wardens’ operator agree to postpone further industrial action
The General Workers’ Union, G4S Security and the Works Directorate have agreed to postpone any further industrial action until after 15 August, G4S Director Kenneth De Martino confirmed.
In the meantime, the three parties are expected to hold more meetings to discuss the GWU’s proposals which include an increase in salary for local wardens.
In a protest which was organised yesterday morning in front of the 4S building in San Ġwann, the General Workers’ Union asked for a salary raise for wardens, to at least match the same pay received by security guards.
Addressing the media, a GWU representative said the union is demanding that wardens are paid, at minimum, €5.98 per hour instead of what the wardens are getting today, which is between €4.70 and €5.30 per hour.
Union section secretary for professionals, finances and services Charlie Galea, said that this pay rise would be temporary until the reform in the sector would be complete. The reform is still in the early stages, he said.
Wardens have a hard job, often getting flak from the public. There are occasions when, where traffic management is concerned, the local council would only ask for one warden to handle the traffic flows in a main road, which is not possible. Here, he said, the wardens are the ones who get yelled at by the public.
All in all, there are around 100 wardens employed by G4S, he said. GWU Secretary General Josef Bugeja was also present, and said that it is unfair that wardens are paid such a low wage.
Moreover, low wages result in less people wanting to become wardens. Originally, the GWU warned that if no agreement is reached, the union will organise further industrial action next week. But following a full-day meeting with the G4S directors, it seems that any industrial action will be postponed for after the 15 August.
“I fully sympathise with the GWU’s request and I understand their complaint. However, one must understand that the discussions were originally held with the central government, and not with us. I was informed that the government had not received their requests only yesterday. The protest was a bit premature. We never closed the door for further discussions,” Mr De Martino said.
In comments to The Malta Independent, the G4S director explained that the government will be drafting new contracts and will probably meet the warden’s desired requests. “I see no logic with having a dispute with the authority that is trying to help. We are the ambassadors for local wardens. All we do is to protect their rights.
“The government understands the GWU’s position and is willing to implement any changes. A new contract will be drafted next year, but GWU wants this change to happen now.”
Speaking to The Malta Independent before the protest, a GWU representative explained that local wardens are the least paid in the security sector. He said that if the authorities aim to reform the local warden system, workers must be encouraged to become wardens.
GWU is also proposing that a temporary agreement is reached at least until a new collective agreement is signed. The latest collective agreement with the local wardens expired last November.