GWU writes to PM on holidays issue

The General Workers' Union is asking Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi to bring the government's position in line with the International Labour Organisation's decision on the public holidays issue.

In a letter sent to Dr Gonzi on Thursday, the union demanded that workers be given back the six vacation days they lost since the government changed the National Holidays Act so that public holidays falling on weekends are not added to workers' leave entitlement.

Last September the union had lodged a formal complaint with the ILO about the decision and the complaint was upheld earlier this month.

The GWU said it had decided to write to the Prime Minister after the ILO agreed with it that the law on public holidays does not automatically render null any existing collective agreements.

Union general secretary Tony Zarb said the government should redress the mistake it had made when it changed the law while breaking international conventions. By righting the wrong done, the government would be sending a clear message it would not repeat the mistake.

The government should do justice with Maltese workers by giving them back the six days they had lost since the law was changed, Mr Zarb wrote, adding that the government should not place burdens on workers.

Following the ILO ruling, the government announced it would be amending a 1975 law that laid down that legislation takes precedence over collective agreements, stating that a law on public holidays does not automatically nullify existing collective agreements.

The government said that contrary to statements by the GWU the ILO was not contesting the amendment made to the National Holidays Act last year, which laid down that public holidays falling on a weekend would no longer be added to the leave entitlement, as this was the government's prerogative.

What the ILO did conclude was that article 30 of the 1975 National Holidays Act was not in conformity with the spirit of its conventions that promoted and protected the principle of negotiation and collective agreements. Therefore, that would be amended, the government said. And although it would no longer be binding, the government said it would continue to insist on the amendment it made last year for the sake of productivity.

The government ruled out that any changes would be backdated.