Malta Public Transport will spend some €2 million on increased salaries and benefits for employees this year following the signing of a new collective agreement.

The agreement, signed with the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin this morning, will see immediate increases for salaries. MPT general manager Konrad Pule told the Times of Malta the agreement would improve employees’ jobs and ultimately make for a better service.

“We employ some 1,300 people and had to work hard to reach a work-life balance for our employees,” he said.

Among the major changes will be the review of contentious split shifts. Drivers had last year complained of excessively long days due to lengthy breaks between shifts. Mr Pule said these had been done away with enabling workers to spend more time with their families while not losing any of their pay. Shifts had also been shortened. 

Other initiatives included new performance bonuses, increased night allowances and a new late duty allowance. 

A new private health insurance was agreed upon.

UHM chief executive officer Josef Vella told the press that the agreement had been reached in just three months – a short period considering the length of the document.

Negotiations were tough but at no point was industrial action threatened.

“Today’s signing sends a message to other industries that what we have achieved here can be replicated elsewhere,” he said.