Union directives to postal counter administrators

The General Workers' Union has registered an industrial dispute with Maltapost and has directed counter administrators not to process bills of any organisation or institution that are normally paid at Maltapost as from Tuesday.

The union said the issue is over the failure by Maltapost to implement recommendations related to the conditions of work of the workers in question. It said the issue dated back to June 2003.

Recommendations by the Director of Labour and Industrial Relations in November last year to improve the situation were ignored by Maltapost, the GWU said. Rather than easing the pressure of work on counter administrators, the company assigned more work to them, it added.

Retail work continued to increase and the workers were not relieved of any work that had been imposed on them. The GWU noted that in addition, nothing had been done in regard to health and safety at the place of work.

Last November 16, the union had allowed two months to remedy the situation.

Contacted, a spokesman for Maltapost said the company referred the issue to the Director of Labour and Industrial Relations as soon as it was informed about the industrial action by the GWU.

A meeting over the issue was held between the management, the director and the GWU yesterday afternoon.

The spokesman said Maltapost had already agreed with the Union Haddiema Maghqudin on a process to tackle the issues raised by the GWU and a time and motion study was being carried out by a consultant.

The spokesman said that in the circumstances, the management expected the GWU to withdraw the directive.

The UHM represents all workers at Maltapost except for the counter administrators who are members of the GWU.