Updated 4.22 p.m.

The Police Association said this afternoon that although the government and the opposition agreed that it should be given legal standing as a trade union, talks with the government have been at a standstill for several months.

The association was reacting to comments made by Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici in reply to a parliamentary question.

The minister said the government was working to give the Police Association legal standing as a trade union.

Replying to a question on recommendations made by an Arbitration Board regarding various requests made by the association, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the board had actually not seen the need for the association to become a trade union, autonomous of the Police Corps. It was of the view that the Police Act gave the association sufficient powers to safeguard the interests of its members and resolve issues on conditions of work.

Nonetheless, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said, the government had offered the association the right to participate as an active member in the talks between the governemnt and the trade unions on a new collective agreement.

Although the association declined the invitation, the government was proceeding with the process to give the association the legal standing of a trade union.

On other recommendations made by the board, Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the board had said that ways should be found to make it possible for policemen to be allowed to work part-time, and it proposed a trial period. Although the possibility of some private work already existed in certain circumstances, no further progress had been made on this issue, the minister said.

He said that following a separate recommendation, the ministry had given its approval for the revision of the rates paid to the police for extra duties, although this had not happened yet.

Agreement was also reached on the hours worked by policemen and talks had been held on compensating those policemen who had worked more hours than laid down in the agreement.

Agreement was reached between the board and the government on the granting of a disturbance allowance to all members of the Corps.

In its reaction, the association said it was invited to take part in the collective agreement talks on October 8, but its enquiries showed that its role would only be that of an observer, without being able to participate.

On October 13, the minister was informed that the association wished to attend the meetings, but as a negotiator, not an observer. No reply had been received.