A total of 6,000 people will benefit from €11 million worth of backdated payments, which the government will be distributing to address “past injustices”.

Addressing a press conference this afternoon, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon said the first group of beneficiaries includes former (public works) corps workers who officially joined the public sector in January of 1979, but carried out some work within the public sector before 1979.

In all, 2,600 former corps workers or their heirs, will receive payment this year. The benefactors were born in or before 1955 and will therefore be retiring this year or have already retired.  

Others who might be eligible, but were born from 1956 onwards will be compensated later.  

The second group consists of ex-harbour workers who were licensed between April 1973 and June 2007. In all, 634 people or their heirs will get the promised payment this year, he noted, adding that this was possible following an agreement with the GWU. Most of their complaints had been about payments from a gratuity.

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Another group is made up of 2,440 police constables, sergeants or sergeants major, who were not paid for overtime between September 1993 and December 31. Some 1,160 of those eligible have already retired or passed away.

The fourth group of benefactors will see some 270 ex Malta Electricity Board workers or their heirs, getting compensated. Dr Falzon noted that these ex workers had so far only had a moral victory on pension rights in court, as the case had been time-barred. This compensation showed that the government did not only believe in justice but also equity, he said, adding that the backdated payments will start being made from this week.

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Addressing the same press conference, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said the government had wanted to address these injustices during the past legislature, but the backdated payments were perceived as “a huge mountain”, as they could increase the country’s deficit. Still, the government was committed to address such injustices, and had actually increased the allocated budget for this measure from €8 to €11 million.