A revision of the cost of living allowance mechanism, financial compensation for public holidays which fall on a weekend, second-pillar pensions and a debate on the concept of a living wage are among the major proposals put forward by the Union Ħaddiema Maqgħudin for the next Budget.
Details of the union's proposals were divulged during a news conference at the union's headquarters in Floriana this morning.
The Malta Confederation of Trade Unions and the Malta Police Association also announced their proposals during the same conference.
In his presentation, UĦM CEO Josef Vella said the current inflation rate of about one per cent was too low when considering the solid economic growth registered in recent months.
The union proposed a maximum allowance of €200 per year as compensation for minimum wage earners
He said this was due to an outdated mechanism which did not reflect contemporary society and needs. So the existing mechanism, which determined the cost of living allowance given each year, should be reviewed.
On the issue of public holidays which fall on a weekend, the UĦM argued that it made more sense to award financial compensation rather than give back these days over and above the annual leave allocation.
This would disrupt productivity and ultimately leave nothing in workers' pockets, Mr Vella said. The union proposed a maximum allowance of €200 per year as compensation for minimum wage earners, which sum would be lower for people in a higher income bracket.
In the case of private entities, the compensation would be awarded by the government. The proposal would cost €17.4 million, a more than justified expense in the current positive economic scenario, the union said.
The UĦM is also pushing for a debate among social partners to establish a living wage which would serve as a benchmark for collective agreements. Adherence to the living wage would not be mandatory, the union said.
Another proposal is to allow workers to keep 10 days of unutilised sick leave from the previous year to use for hospital visits and appointments.
On it part, the CMTU called for more financial support for cancer patients needing expensive medicine and the recruitment of more medical staff at the new oncology hospital.
CMTU President Martin Balzan also called on the government to table in Parliament every major contract signed. He said that such contracts should be scrutinised by the Auditor General before they were signed.
As for the MPA, Inspector Robert Vella lamented that his union was still waiting for official recognition from the government 18 months after the enactment of a law which gave members of disciplinary forces the right to join a union.
Because of this, police officers did not have official representatives to discuss matters of importance with the government on their behalf.