GWU threatens action at PBS

The General Workers' Union said yesterday that unless Public Broadcasting Services shouldered the responsibility for its decisions and implemented the choices of workers once the voluntary early retirement schemes closed on Friday, it would be taking action to safeguard the interests of its members.

The union is insisting with the PBS board of directors to shoulder the responsibility of its decisions regarding the number of employees who, according to it, were sufficient to manage all the operations of the station.

After Friday, it said, PBS should start operating with the number of employees it had set.

The application date of the early retirement voluntary schemes had been extended by two weeks on the GWU's insistence following a request by workers who were not chosen to retain their job at PBS.

Some of these workers last week moved their case to the ombudsman, assisted by GWU lawyers. They are insisting they were unjustly denied from keeping their PBS job.

The GWU said that Services and Media section secretary Karmenu Vella held several meetings with officials from the Government Investments Ministry to discuss the future of the workers.

The union wanted PBS to accept the applications of workers taking up the schemes and release them.

The union was also insisting that the workers who did not apply for early retirement and who were not chosen to stay on at PBS be posted to another job in the following week as had been agreed with the union last April.

The union, Mr Vella said, would not permit the board to continue to drag its feet.