In a statement in reply to The Malta Independent’s leader of 24 August, the section’s secretary Mario Sacco said that it was not true that the unions had already agreed to the elimination of half-days. The UHM had, said the statement, always said that working hours was a sensitive issue for the employees and the government.

The TMID leader said that air-conditioners are a necessity, not a luxury, but when the union requested their installation in some departments it was told that they were a luxury, the union said.

And what can be said about workers employed on the streets? Will all departments have the same amount of work in summer and in winter?

The UHM said that many private companies have different working hours in summer and in winter. The union did not agree that half-days in summer should be eliminated so that the civil service will become the same as the private sector.

When the private sector is mentioned, the sector being referred to must be identified because working hours differed, depending on the service given. The same goes for the civil service. Health service and policemen not only have no half-days in summer, but give 24 hours of work based on a shift system.

The UHM’s Civil Service Sector expects the government to start negotiating the new collective agreement with the unions as soon as possible and not pass on information to journalists beforehand, said the statement. This does not encourage negotiations to be held in the right spirit.

Editorial note: The Malta Independent did not receive information about the possibility of the elimination of half-days from the government. Before the leader published on 24 August, TMID carried a story on 20 August in which it quoted sources that are not connected with the government.

An official query to the Office of the Prime Minister met with a “no comment” because, it was said, matters discussed at MCESD level are confidential. Mr Sacco was also quoted in this paper’s report, as was a representative of the General Workers Union, Ms Josephine Attard Sultana.

Both confirmed that the unions had received information similar to that received by TMID regarding the government’s intentions to reassess the half-day system.

Their comments indicated that the unions were willing to negotiate over the government’s proposals on this subject.

The leader of 24 August was based on this story.