The General Workers Union has written to political parties asking them for a declaration on how they would deal with the situation of some 300 people working at Mater Dei through a private contractor.

The employees - 120 security guards, 120 clerks and 60 parkers, were paid less than civil servants doing the same job. This, section secretary Cory Greenland said, did not make sense.

Mr Greenland said that the government had told the union that the new tender would be issued with the new rates. But rather than issuing a new tender, the government had extended the old contract so nothing changed.

The union also presented the three party leaders with a petition signed by the affected workers and a letter.