The GWU Government and Public Entities Section has signed the first collective agreement of its kind with the Dar il-Hena Foundation for the period 2022-2026.
This agreement ensures an improvement in working conditions, including a better financial package and various other benefits that directly affect the Foundation’s employees.
The agreement was signed on behalf of GWU by Kendrick Bondin – Secretary of the Government and Public Institutions Section – Lawrence Bugeja – Deputy Section Secretary – and Anne Sciberras as employee representative. Signing on behalf of the Foundation were Chairman Anthony Girard and Executive Director Ian Galea. GWU General Secretary Josef Bugeja was also present at the signing of this agreement.
In his remarks, Secretary Kendrick Bondin expressed his satisfaction for the signing of this agreement, also in view of the work that is being done between the different actors with a social objective – to reach people who do not have a roof over their heads.
“This is a facility that admits both short-term and long-term patients, so the staff does this work wholeheartedly to help these people,” Bondin said. “It’s not an easy job. The staff is very dedicated and spends a lot of time with these people.”
The Dar il-Hena Foundation was established through a joint effort of the Ministry of Social Policy and the Rights of the Child, Caritas Malta and the Alfred Mizzi Foundation to provide shelter for the homeless. The Foundation has three shelters, two of which are emergency shelters for the homeless and the third is a long-term shelter.
Secretary Bondin affirmed that with this collective agreement “we have seen the work of workers and their social care. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this facility.”
For his part, the Manager of the Dar il-Hena Foundation, Ian Galea, said that “this was an initiative of the workers who joined the union. The agreement was very pioneering and will improve the conditions of workers. We look forward to building on this and continuing to safeguard our workplace standards. “
