Police officers expect government to behave as ‘model employer’

Almost 1,500 policemen yesterday filed a second judicial protest claiming they still have not been paid or given time off in lieu for overtime worked since 1993.

The officers said that, as a “model employer”, the government should not be acting this way, denying them what was rightfully theirs, especially in a democratic society.

Since the first protest, filed in October 2009, the government had only offered a fraction of what they were owed, which offer they refused, they said.

The policemen cited a 1993 agreement on new salaries and conditions of service for the police force, which laid down that “payment of overtime at 1.5 times the rate of pay will be made for any hours worked in excess of 46 hours per week, when time off in lieu cannot be given”.

The agreement had not been adhered to and the officers reserved the right to take any action within the parameters of the law to safeguard their interests.

Lawyer Robert Abela signed the protest.

The General Workers’ Union said in a statement it was shameful to think the police, the guardians of law and order, had to resort to court action to get what was rightfully theirs.

It called on the government to immediately pay the officers their dues, adding the matter underscored the need for police officers to have the right to form part of a union that could defend their rights.

The Union Ħaddiema Magħ­qudin too issued a statement saying it had received no feedback on a request it made to the Prime Minister last May to look into the matter of granting police officers a right to form part of a union. Just as it was a basic right to be paid overtime, it was also a basic right to form part of a union, it said.