More than 220 workers of the Agency for the Protection of Persons seeking Asylum, AWAS, will be benefiting from better conditions and rights with increases in the existing basic salary. The same workers will also benefit from more balance between life and work and from the strengthening of other existing measures.
This is after two collective agreements were signed between AWAS and the General Workers’ Union in the presence of the Minister for the Interior, Security, Reforms and Equality Byron Camilleri, covering from workers at least grade up to other employees in managerial and professional positions.
Minister Camilleri stressed the importance of social dialogue, through which the Government continues to strengthen the worker. He explained how through this agreement the first cycle of collective agreements for workers in the security sectors was concluded. In fact, a total of eleven collective agreements were made within three years, which Minister Byron Camilleri referred to as the best recognition for the commitment shown every day by the same workers.
For his part, the Secretary General of the General Workers Union Josef Bugeja explained how it is gratifying that the General Workers’ Union has closed another agreement from the series of collective agreements that this union is making, built on the -the demands of the workplace and the aspirations of the workers.
“We continued to build on a strong social dialogue, where we had the authorities of the ministry, as well as of AWAS, who understood the needs and aspirations of the workers.
So, this is a memorable day in which these workers will continue to improve and strengthen their working conditions,” concluded Mr. Bugeja.
The signing of these agreements was done by the CEO of AWAS Clayton Xuereb, representatives of the General Workers’ Union including the Secretary of the Government and Public Entities Section, Kendrick Bondin, in the presence of the Permanent Secretary Emanuel Psaila and officials from the industrial relations section in the Office of the Prime Minister.
