Update 3: Decision on compensation for rise in fuel costs to be taken by March
Video: Alan Adami
A three-hour meeting of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development this morning has been described by the social partners as “cordial”.
In the meeting it was agreed that the government should present a report on inflation by the end of March, by when a decision should also be taken whether compensation should be given, and what it should be, to make up for the increase in prices.
There was also agreement to start discussions on reforming the cost of living adjustment mechanism.
UHM PROPOSALS
In a statement, the UHM said its proposals included a cash payment to be made by March 31 to cover the increase in inflation since October. This payment should not be taxable and should also be given to pensioners.
It said that as of next year, the cost of living increase should not continue to be given to the nearest 25c but in full.
The union said it proposed the setting up of an MCESD sub-committee to evaluate the relationship between the base wage on which the Cola was calculated and the social wage according to the 1990 Incomes Policy agreement.
The UHM said that other proposals were for a retail price index with a new weighting frame to be introduced retroactively to January 1, 2010 and for prices and tariffs which required the approval of the regulator to be drawn up with the involvement of the social partners within the MCESD.
GWU STATEMENT
The GWU expressed its satisfaction that the social partners had agreed to the requests of the Ghaqda Unions Maltin, an organisation made up of the Forum and the GWU.
The union said that its proposals included that immediate compensation should be given for the fuel increases and that the cost of living adjustment would be calculated on the average wage.
The GWU said it was satisfied there seemed to have been agreement in principle about the discussion during the MCESD meeting. It said it was confident that a solid agreement would be reached following the discussions that had to continue in the MCESD.
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simon cutajar
Jan 9th 2011, 18:13
If there will be a compensation ( If this wooden hearted goverment dicide to give ) should start from 1 st January and not from March and there's no need to wait till marcrh to decide .
r.camilleri
Jan 9th 2011, 08:29
Mela ohra, xi kunsilli lokali fethu xi kcejjen f'xi skejjel biex jghatu l-ikel (lunch) lil dawk it-tfal li ma' jkollhomx. Wara il-Gvern hareg jghid li dawn infethu, ghax hemm genituri li ma jafux jghamlu lunch lit-tfal taghhom, flok qal li dawn il-genituri mhux isibu flus bizzejjed biex jixtru l-affarijiet ta' l-ikel ghall lunch. Kif jista qatt dan il-gvern isolvi l-problemi li qed johloq hu stess meta iwwaddabhom fuq haddiehor. Mela x'ma jmorrux jipprottestaw in-nies nhar il-Gimgha, joqghodu ihallu izjed min jghaddihom biz-zmien, jistennew tlett xhur biex isir rapport, qiesu l-gholi tal-prezzijiet se' jibdew f'Marzu. There is no Sincere Governance as in the case of the 600 euro per week increase to themselves.
Ronald Apap - Gudja
Jan 8th 2011, 18:07
Note that not everyone can afford to go to protest on Friday.Ironically I have to go to work to be bale to pay for the fuel costs etc. So those who can afford to go to protest can afford a day off work it seems. Strange :)))
J Brincat
Jan 8th 2011, 15:58
Meanwhile when the car runs dry of fuel leave it at the spot it stops and when the gas cylinder is empty leave in a corner to gather dust!
Mike Magri
Jan 8th 2011, 11:59
@ A Vassallo...... Quote.."..The fact remains that you and the PL need not go to Republic Street in Valletta on Friday anymore.."..Unquote.... Haaa... Haaa... Haaaa...Vassallo.... You are saying it yourselve too, you see... !!!
As i said earlier, i strongly beleive that the Main reason for this quicky quicky MCESD meeting was exactly that of turning off the protest, just like you and GonziPN`s Regime are wishing to happen.. Is it that difficult for you and your likes, to simply understand that so far NOTHING Concrete happened, but that what Everyone of the Social Partners is saying, is just HOPING this and HOPING that, and in the meantime, while GonziPN`s Regime is playing for time, we are FORGING OUT more Hundreds of Euros from our take home pay...!!!! It`s So Simple, Vassallo...!!!!
Therefore, I AND many many others, on Friday Jan. 14th, YES... WE are going to disappoint you and your GonziPN`s Regime, because we are all going to be in Valletta Stronly UNITED as a PEASEFUL SHOW OF FORCE against ARROGANCE and to show everyone that we are NOT just Numbers, good for elections only or some kind of an Imbecile Maltese Race...!!!! Got It Now....!!!!!
TONY FAVA
Jan 8th 2011, 10:29
TO ALL BLOGGERSPN. REMEMBER WHEN UHM DEMANDED A WEEKLY INCREASE OF £9. HOW ABOUT THAT?, I BET THAT YOU MUST HAVE SUPPORTED THAT. NO NEED FOR FURTHER COMMENTS. UNDOUBTEDLY ALL OF YOU QED TPPAPUHA AND HOW.
A. Vassallo
Jan 8th 2011, 10:14
@ mike magro
The fact remains that you and the PL need not go to Republic Street in Valletta on Friday anymore. What will you and the "lajburisti" be protesting against,? The agreement reached yesterday in which even the gwu is an integral part of?
A. Vassallo
Jan 7th 2011, 17:35
@ Mike Magri You need NOT to go to Valletta on Friday 14th. The social partners have reached an agreement between ALL stakeholders, including the GWU, and hence a solution to this crisis seems to have been found. And all this THANKS TO PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL. Here Here Mr. Mike Magri. Solutions are not found with demonstrations in Republic Street Valletta but only round the table of negotiations and meaningfull discussions.
Mike Magri
Jan 7th 2011, 18:19
@..A Vassallo... You said it.. Solutions "..SEEMS " .... repeat "SEEMS".. to have been found.. So NOTHING is final yet or `found`...!! So much so that we have to wait, at least, up to March, this year, i hope.. And you know for what...?? For more talks and talks and more blablabla..... If the GonziPN government was honest about all this, he should have Called this meeting WELL BEFORE he made this Blunder, and not after Dr. Muscat`s announcement of a National Protest..!! Now... Having said that though, i am more than sure that today`s MCESD meeting was called for nothing else but for playing for time, hoping to ease the strong urge amongst the majority of the Maltese, for the PL`s call for next Friday`s National Protest..
Anthony Mizzi
Jan 7th 2011, 18:38
Agreement/ March of which year, the year of the General Election where the Gonzipn HEART just bleeds out to the lectorate? Min qieghed jithaq b'min?
David John
Jan 7th 2011, 19:40
Ma kontx wiehed min dawk li hargu jipprotestaw meta kien gholla d-dawl u l-ilma Alfred Sant hux ghal li jista jkun. Dak inhar ma kienetx problema tipprotesta imma llum iva ghax hemm gvern Nazzjonalista gvern tas-sinjur. Hu pacenzja ghalaq halqek. Jekk ma intix mahqur u maffeg halli lil haddiehor jghix.
A. Vassallo
Jan 7th 2011, 19:55
@ Mike Magri Oh come off it, give us a break Mike Magri!! The word "seems" was used in the context that today, all the social partners, including the gwu, agreed to sit around the negotiation table and have meaningfull discussions so that by the end of March a just solution regarding the system of how the COLA is calculated be found and a just compensation to be given to the workers and pensioners is agreed upon. With the agreement reached today, the social partners, sensibbly, and I would add, with great sense of responsability towards their country, they have managed to avoid any industrial unrest in Malta. That is why you and the PL have no reason whatsoever to go and protest in Republic Street on Friday January 14th.
Mike Magri
Jan 7th 2011, 22:15
@ A Vassallo.. Oh come off it yourselve A Vassallo... and stop running around in circles trying to justify the government`s BELATED Action.. You know darn well that what has been done today, was done ONLY because Dr. Joseph Muscat announced that the PL is going to organize a peaceful National Protest on Jan. 14th. In other words, this meeting was called after the government of GonziPN, Once More, got himself entangled into a crises by not informing the MCESD`s Social Partners, BEFORE he announced the fuel price hikes.. That`s not the way to do things and that is why we are still without a solution and very sceptic that there will ever be one that satisfies all, either. Once again GonziPN lost his credibility on yet another decision taken prior to consultations, and worst of all, creating an unstable situation for one and all.. Admit IT...
J busuttil
Jan 7th 2011, 17:34
The proposals put by UHM are the most sensible. The PL demonstration in Valletta is only party politics which is not needed. These issues are best tackled at MCESD .That is the best way for our country and not party politics.
Mario Bonnici
Jan 7th 2011, 19:17
The solution is in the next general election.
John Bezzina
Jan 7th 2011, 17:06
@ g cassar
The GWU and the FORUM made their proposals known in a press conference yesterday, the report here includes the proposals of the UHM which were made public today after the MCESD meeting. One should read this report well before jumping to stupid conclusions!
ncortis
Jan 7th 2011, 16:24
@J Cassar------tidher li qed taqlahha tajjeb habib------mhux bhall maggoranza tal poplu!!! X'differenza minn meta kien hemm il-labour fil gvern------dak iz-zmien ma kontux tirragunaw hekk!!!! anzi il pn kien jorganizza protesti kull gimgha!!! Kif inbidlu z-zminijiet!!! Mur gibu kien il-labour fil gvern-------kieku ----kieku-----kieku------min jaf??????
r spiteri
Jan 7th 2011, 17:18
kieku hawn gid kbir u hadd ma jgerger u kullhadd ferhan relax id dar jara tv flok imur jahdem
g.cassar
Jan 7th 2011, 16:16
It seems to me that this report speaks a lot of what the U.H.M said, well done and very good.
Has the G.W.U. remained silent? Was the union present at the meeting?
I wonder, not a single word about what the G.W.U. said is seen in this report. Why??
J mallia
Jan 7th 2011, 17:19
Did you even bother to read the whole article or are you that biased !!!
joanna farrugia
Jan 7th 2011, 15:31
@ j cassar the crisis is there and no one is creating nothing.if you are comfy with your beloved gov say what you like but please dont insult people intelligence. why we have to hear or care about overseas? as far as i know we live in malta right? ohhhhhhh i see this is the new pn party song and another thing your gonzipn harmed our pockets while he got 600eu wage rise while us and you included got only 1.16eu.j cassar please keep clapping your hand alone and stop blaming pl for this goverment without heart.
Mike Magri
Jan 7th 2011, 15:14
Haa.. Haa.. Ha.. UHM is telling every body what it said and the Minister is without an official statement of what went on behind closed doors, eh....??!!??!!
Who Is Running MCESD...??!!?? Or is this truely and honestly a `` Hanut tat-Te`` as was once described by Minister Austin Gatt...!!!
Sinjuri tal-UHM.. What you said is nothing new as the PL, GWU and the GhUM have been saying so since the following day these savage increases were Imposed on us..!!
See you in Valletta - Jan. 14th...
Joseph Cassar
Jan 7th 2011, 18:34
l-ahmar qed jaghmik sur Magri. imma bil-ghatx ser tibqa.
roy falzon
Jan 7th 2011, 15:10
s-solitu storja mela x'mar jaghmel il-ministru biex jiehu cafe. Ma kienx jaf biex ser johorgu l-unions. L-EMPLOYERS QATT MA TAW ZIDIET MINN JEDDHOM ghax lill-haddiem dejjem sehtulu il-paga u ma noqoghdux nghidu ma niggenerawx ghax dan hu fatt. Meta jkollhom sena tajba jghidu npattu ghaz-zmien hazin u jekk sena hazina jhaddmu -l-makkinarju tas-sensji. Ma nistax nifhem kif il-unions maghqudin mhux kapaci jrazznu l-gvern forsi ghax hemm min jittradixxi lill-istess msiehba.?
mario gellel
Jan 7th 2011, 15:10
'''Decision on compensation for rise in fuel costs to be taken by March''''
AND AT THE START OF THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH WE GET THE NEWS THAT THE FUEL IS GOING DOWN BY 2cent PER LITRE, SO NO NEED TO COMPENSATE.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAAAAA
jcassar
Jan 7th 2011, 15:03
Why are we creating a crises when there is no crisis, hear the news overseas and the conclusion is that these small increases coming from abroad are nothing compared to what other countries are suffering. The govt should not subsidise consumption, it should only safeguard jobs. The LP has returned to the old tactics of Alfred Sant when he used to create a crisis out of nothing. We know what his electoral results were. Many of the comments by the usual labout apologists are only intended to harm the govt.
Mike Magri
Jan 7th 2011, 15:30
JCassar.. The way you talk, you must be one of the Chosen Few, sitting on a bright and shiny `Golden Egg`.. In that case, good for you.... But who the hell are you to tell us what to say and what not to say......,?????? Of course there is a crises.. AND HOW....!!! Just ask anyone of those getting nearer or even worse, those who already are UNDER the Poverty Line... i.e. The Majority of the Working Class, Pensioners and the likes... !! Oscourse, don`t ask the ministers as they gave themselves a nicey double pay increase running into millions of euros......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A JOKE.. JC hux.....??!!??!!
Stephan Demicoli
Jan 7th 2011, 15:46
Jaqaw int xi wiehed minn dawk il-blue eyed boys li qed tpappiha tajjeb u allura l-gholi tal hajja ma tantx jaffettwak? Ghax ma tmurx thabbat il-bieb tal familji u tistaqsihom kif inhuma ghaddejjin u jekk hux qed ilahhqu mal hajja? Fejn huma il-pagi gholjin bhall ta barra li il-partit tieghek tant kien iwieghed? U jekk tahseb li qieghdin ahjar minn barra f'dak li jirrigwarda impjiegi qed tohlom ghax kieku il-gvern inehhi dawk il-hadddiema zejda li ghandu hu u dawk li jahdmu mal korpi parastatali kieku ir-rata talqaghad f'Malta hija fenominali!! Il-gvern mhux qed jissussidja il-konsum izda qed jissussidja l-impjiegi billi ihaddem kemmjista ikun niesmieghu li ftit li xejn huma produttivi. Kullhadd jista jimmagina kemm hi sostenibbli haga bhall din.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Jan 7th 2011, 16:14
PL? what has the PL got to do with this?
This is the MCESD..Did you even read the article? Do you even know what the MCESD is?
l fenech
Jan 7th 2011, 14:05
I sincerely hope it is March of the current and not the one before the general elections, until then I shall keep my fingers crossed.
M.Bezzina
Jan 7th 2011, 13:48
Il gvern gie biex jiddiskuti........
1. Kif se naghmlu aktar taxxi fuq il poplu.
2. Jekk hemmx xi cans nergaw nghollu ftit il kontijiet tad dawl u ilma.
3. Jekk hemmx possibilta li nergaw noghllu il petrol/diesel u l gas.
4. Jekk hemmx xi cans imma huwa remot li nzidu ftit il paga li il haddiem
mijiex isservih
Dik hija parti mis solidarjeta!!!
Grazzi
Ganni Ellul
Jan 7th 2011, 13:17
The fact that the minister did not comment was a wise decision, he has a general strike staring him in the face, Should the employers not pay any increases then they are responsable for any action taken by the workers.A General strike would do us no good especially at this important time in the financial crises.Let us boycott those agents and buisnesses that do not give out the rises(if there are any), That is a very peacfull way to tell these people that while they are still living in comfort as they increased thier prices when expences increased we the workers are counting each cent.
David Buttigieg
Jan 7th 2011, 13:28
And where do you expect these employers to get the money from?
Opening the tap?
S Aquilina
Jan 7th 2011, 14:40
'Let us boycott those agents and buisnesses that do not give out the rises(if there are any)'. That way you will be really helping their employees.......first they wouldn't have their wage increase..........& then they would be fired due to lack of business.
Steve Mizzi
Jan 7th 2011, 15:43
The short sightedness of people such as yourself is incredible. A private enterprise is not social security and therefore should not be used to carry society's burdens. If you believe that all businesses in Malta are swimming in money, why don't you go ahead and open a company. Do you want to know how a company would finance an obligatory wage increase that it cannot sustain? Simple by firing a few people.
This whole COLA business is a Communist mechanism that does not benefit anybody, it imposes an increase in cost on companies that can ill afford it while at the same time it gives an excuse to profitable companies to just stick to the imposed increase and not giving performance based increases. Government should restrict itself to ensuring that the minimum wage is sufficient for a single person to live a decent life.
No government or private enterprise should subsidise consumption, as after all such subsidies have to be financed by the rest of the tax payers who might be making sacrifices to reduce their consumption only to see their savings going to pay additional taxes to subsidise the consumption of others.
VV Bartolo
Jan 7th 2011, 13:03
nahseb IT-TERREMOTT LAWRENCE GONZI GHAMLU F'MALTA u mhux joseph muscat!!
Michael Vella
Jan 7th 2011, 12:48
SKONT IL MINISTRU TONIO FENECH QAL GIE BIX JIDISKUTTI!!!! GHANKI IL BODY LANGUAGE TIGHU KIENET TIDHER HAFNA LI MAR BIEX JIDISKUTTI!!!! LANQAS BISS TA CANS GHAL DOMANDA U RISPOSTA.
r ferriggi
Jan 7th 2011, 12:07
if you notice,,,,,
the government and its spokesmen have momentarily lost their voices.
no statement, no comments, no reaction, no nothing.
a very clear strategy ordered from above.
be it regarding the 'nice' self given wage rise, or the hefty inreases in many items.
these strategies do not go unnoticed and DO NOT in any way save the governments face in the peoples opinions and sufferings.
now for the usual big big sweetener just before the elections..... we wonder what the government is planning,,,,,,
A. Zahra
Jan 7th 2011, 13:04
had the minister spoken he would have been accused of arrogance, now that he is silent he is still being accused of being hypocritical. poor chap he cannot win!
m mallia
Jan 7th 2011, 13:22
whether he would have been accused of arrogance or not depended on the nature of his response...