General Workers' Union secretary-general Tony Zarb today blasted the Malta Employers’ Association’s proposal to rule out self-inflicted conditions like hangovers, sports injuries and cosmetic surgery as reasons for taking sick leave.

“We had no choice to react, if an employee is certified sick by a doctor then it should count as sick leave,” Mr Zarb said.

He queried whether by the MEA’s metric, an employee with lung cancer caused by smoking will be excluded from taking sick leave.

“If they want a long hot summer, we are ready for it,” Mr Zarb warned.

Mr Zarb also said that employees should be given back the public holidays falling on weekends “that have been stolen from them.”

He said the GWU has the backing of the International Labour Office on this point.

On linking the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to productivity, Mr Zarb said the adjustment has brought about industrial peace, which in turn raises productivity. The COLA increase should be given twice a year, he said. 

See also