The General Workers Union wants local wardens to have a salary raise and take home at least the same pay as security guards.
A protest was held this morning in front of the G4S security building in San Ġwann, which is the company that employs the wardens.
The protest was organised by the GWU.
Addressing the media, a GWU representative said the union is demanding that wardens are paid, at minimum, €5.98 per hour instead of what the wardens are getting today, which is between €4.70 and €5.30 per hour.
Union Secretary for Professionals, finances and services Charlie Galea, said that this pay rise would be temporary until the reform in the sector would be complete. The reform is still in the early stages it was said.
He said that wardens have a hard job, often getting flak from the public. There are occasions when, where traffic management is concerned, the local council would only ask for one warden to handle the traffic flows of a main road, which is not possible. Here, he said, the wardens are the ones who get yelled at by the public.
All in all, there are around 100 wardens employed by G4S he said. GWU Secretary General Josef Bugeja was also present, and said that it is unfair that wardens are paid such a low wage.
It was also said that the low wages results in less people wanting to become wardens. If no agreement is reached, the Union will organise further industrial action next week.
Speaking to The Malta Independent yesterday, a GWU representative explained that local wardens are the least paid in the security sector. He said that if the authorities aim to reform the local warden system, workers must be encouraged to become wardens.
“People out there do not really realise what these local wardens have to face every day. What we are suggesting is that at least they get a higher pay to be on the same level as that of security guards.
GWU is also proposing that a temporary agreement is reached at least until a new collective agreement is signed. The latest collective agreement with the local wardens expired last November. A new one will be drafted soon.
The protest today is expected to last for two hours.
Photos & Video: Jonathan Borg