GWU signs first G4S Malta employees’ agreement
The agreement establishes employment conditions and various procedures of the work environment now agreed to between the company and the union. This also includes the remuneration package for all categories of employees including security guards, hospital guards, parking officers, cash services staff and clerical staff.
The agreement also forms part of global efforts taken in the past months between the international union federation UNI Global Union and G4S International. Unions and G4S have globally agreed upon better industrial relations frameworks and signed a global agreement. The local agreement is therefore a positive reflection of such global initiatives in a globalised world. G4S is one of the largest global employers and this is also the case locally in the security service industry.
Speaking during the signing, GWU Professionals, Finance and Services Section Secretary Cory Greenland stated that the security industry faces numerous challenges. "The Security Sector in Malta requires careful and better regulation to ensure that employees are protected through legislation. It must be seen to, that tendering processes, that generate most security jobs, are controlled particularly where the Government is involved. It is important that Government ensures that public funds are not being abused and that employees working on any public tender particularly have reasonable conditions of employment.
It is unfortunate that competition has meant that this industry has been generating less good quality jobs and at times certain companies end up abusing work practiced for employees. It is therefore very relevant that a Union is agreeing conditions of employment with a Company in such a sector, as this is a certificate that conditions
are improving and are better than elsewhere."
The agreement was signed by the GWU by Cory Greenland and Union representatives Adrian Mintoff, Justin Grech, Godwin Vassallo and Gejtu Azzopardi. For the company the agreement was signed by Kenneth Demartino and Patrick Busuttil. The parties raised each other for the professional way in which discussions were held and recognised that this agreement was an important milestone in the industrial relation between the company and the Union in the best interest of employees.