The Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin (UĦM) has urged the government to grant police officers, soldiers, civil protection officers and prison warders the right to join a trade union of their choice.

The Maltese authorities were taking civil security officers for a ride, UĦM general secretary Gejtu Vella said yesterday.

Addressing a conference against a backdrop of mannequins dressed in security uniforms, he said the UĦM was not calling for the right to strike but for an equal footing with other sectors in talks relating to these officers’ working conditions.

UĦM president Gejtu Tanti said the union had been putting pressure on the authorities to grant this right for about two years.

On May 1, 2010, the union had sent a letter to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi insisting that policemen, soldiers, civil protection officers and prison warders should be offered the possibility of joining a union. However, 13 months later, the union had only received an acknowledgement and no reply.

Mr Vella said the issue had now been dragging on for too long and there were several discrepancies, such as overtime, which should be addressed and resolved through a union.

These workers were entitled to overtime but some were not being paid for the extra hours they worked, he said.

The years some prison warders had engaged in training before being recruited was equivalent to regular work but it was not considered as part of their 25-year service, he added.

On May 24, the Malta Police Association’s executive committee had written to Dr Gonzi pointing out that police officers were still being denied the right to join a union. It had not yet received a reply.

In the meantime, the General Workers’ Union expressed its solidarity with the association. It said it had for a long time insisted that this category of worker be granted the right to join a trade union.