Updated 2: Government denies Sant claim on overtime, twice

The government in a statement has strongly denied a claim made by the leader of the opposition that during the talks on the social pact, the government proposed that the first 100 hours of overtime should be paid as ordinary time and not at time and a half.

Dr Sant made the claim when speaking in Valletta yesterday. The government said the claim was “totally false”.

The government said this proposal was made by a section of the employers and the draft social pact included nothing on overtime.

Replying, Dr Sant said in a statement he was publishing the first draft of the social pact, prepared by the government and employers in 2004, which proposed that the first four hours of overtime per week be paid at normal rates up to 100 hours.

He also pointed out that a similar proposal was made by the government during the more recent talks on the Air Malta collective agreement.

In a counter statement this evening, the government reiterated that it never made any proposal on overtime. The proposal referred to by Dr Sant was made by employers, and the government never agreed with it.

The government said the proposal with regard to Air Malta was made by the company against the advice of the Investments Minister.