On Monday, 16 March, the Section representing workers in the security sector within the General Workers’ Union (GWU), together with other trade unions, was invited to a Cabinet meeting held at a Civil Protection property in Ħal Far, focusing on national security. During our intervention, there was unanimous agreement among all unions on the strength of social dialogue between the Government and trade unions, as well as on the improvement in working conditions through various collective and/or sectoral agreements negotiated and signed in recent years.
The Disciplined Forces, Security Officers and Law Enforcement Section Secretary within the GWU, Theo Vella, recalled that before February 2015, not only did workers in the Disciplined Forces not have the right to organize themselves into a trade union, but it was actually considered a disciplinary offence to even be a member of one.
He also shared past experiences where, when workers in the Disciplined Forces attempted to present suggestions and proposals, the reaction was often hostile, with threats that if they spoke out, they could lose the privilege of retiring after 25 years of service.
“Today, not only have we retained this same privilege, but unions together with the Government have managed to negotiate and reach agreement on two collective/sectoral agreements in each Disciplined Corps, with that of the Civil Protection Department at a very advanced stage,” said Vella.
He added that despite unprecedented success in terms of wage improvements, this does not mean that there is no more work to be done. A very common situation faced by workers in the security and law enforcement sector is unfounded allegations and attacks on their integrity.
“It is true that these workers operate in circumstances where the nature of their work does not always appear favourable to the public. This is understandable, as no one enjoys being prosecuted when regulations or laws are breached. However, we are facing a long-standing reality where workers in these sectors have been unjustly transferred, subjected to disciplinary procedures without evidence, and even brought before criminal courts despite a lack of proof,” said the Section Secretary.
He stated that no one is claiming that if these workers abuse their role, they should not be investigated, and if there is strong evidence, they should face procedures. However, to go through an ordeal, be found not guilty, and still suffer consequences—financially and through damage to their reputation and integrity—is unjust.
“Without referring to specific cases, this is becoming more common since social media has become a weapon used to harm individuals. Unfortunately, there is a small segment of society that is only interested in bringing others down, and workers in the security and law enforcement sector are among the targets of such attacks.”
He added that, therefore, it is being proposed that a Parliamentary Commissioner for Workers in the Disciplined Forces, Security and Law Enforcement be appointed. This Commissioner should be an independent agent of Parliament, tasked with acting as a ‘shield’ for all officers in the respective sectors and safeguarding their constitutional rights. The role would include overseeing internal management, investigating complaints, reporting annually to Parliament and acting as a supervisory authority over all the mentioned sectors.
“The concept has already been in operation in Germany for several years and has recently been introduced in the United Kingdom. The office of the Commissioner should be established to protect the fundamental rights of workers in these sectors and to prevent these bodies from becoming a ‘state within a state’,” Theo Vella concluded.
