Perhaps I should declare my bias from the very beginning. I have a soft-spot for the boys and girls in “blue” as family members, cousins, nephews, in-laws, my grand-father and my brother, both late, served at different times in the police force. I was brought up with a police officer at my parents’ home. I can vividly recall my mother ironing my brother’s shirt and trousers while my brother vigorously polished his shoes in our yard.
The introduction of the new shift pattern which includes also as and when required is almost the best definition to describe precarious employment. While trade unions and employer’s organisations, both locally and internationally struggle to find a proper definition to define precarious employment, out of the blue the new police administration has, it seems, without much effort, found an adequate description to define precarious employment. The new police officers work rosters are tantamount to precarious work. It is like employment at will.
As if this was not enough more shocking news was in store. I will not delve and enquire who was responsible for the irresponsible decision to detail police officers to perform waiting duties at the official banquet which was hosted at the official country summer residence of the Prime Minister in Girgenti for the European Broadcasting Union Delegates. It is derogatory to the credibility of all police officers.
The truth of the matter is - all that glitters is not gold. Panning for gold often results in finding a brassy metal nicknamed fool's gold, which reflects substantially more light than authentic gold. Gold in its raw form appears dull and does not glitter.
The restructuring programme which included many transfers from one division to another of many police officers within the police force, has brought also changes in work patterns while various new shifts have been introduced.
Whereas police officers are duty bound to serve people at all times in all events, they should receive recognition for their sterling work particularly in difficult circumstances. In this regard, work rosters which do not have a time when police officers are expected to start their duty and a time by which they are relieved from their official duty is considered by the same officers to be highly unjust and lacks respect both towards themselves and to their loved ones as has been attested by many police officers privately and whispered in the wide corridors of the Police Head Quarters. Power and authority should not be misunderstood or worse misinterpreted. Those responsible for the introduction of such work shifts and schedules should understand that power and authority can be perceived as being very similar in meaning and definition however, in reality they are not. One may exercise his power at the expense of others but authority, one earns. Power is a very dangerous toy if left in the hands of those who may not be held accountable for their actions.
It confuses the mind as to how, during the same week that the issue of precarious work was brought under the magnifying lens of the three social partners at the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development, at the Police Head Quarters, senior police officers without any consultation with officials from the Police Association decided to change police officers shift rosters and work schedules. A new work-shift which is marked as and when required deprives police officers from having any sort of stability, reducing substantially the quality of life of these officers and their families.
The haphazard and arbitrary introduction of these new shifts within the police force becomes more difficult to comprehend when it seems that a political decision has been taken and shortly police officers, prison wardens, civil protection officers and army officers will be allowed to join a union of their choice. I have no doubt that any sensible union representing uniformed personnel would have strongly objected to the introduction of such a highly irregular work pattern.
It gives me great pleasure to read that the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development has brought precarious employment issue under the spot-light, albeit I am informed that there is no common ground between trade-unions and employers on what constitutes precarious employment. The various employment contracts, like casual work, indefinite employment, definite employment, part-time work, self-employment and other employment contracts are all contracts of employment which by no means can be classified as precarious employment. These contracts of employment all tailor-made to ensure the best safety nets to workers on one hand and on the other allow employers to use employment contracts which are best suitable for their business. The previous administration had taken various stands to curb precarious employment so much so that a law regulating self-employment contracts which was depriving workers from basic conditions of worker was introduced.
Once on this subject, if and when there is the promised green light for uniformed personnel of the four disciplined corps to join a union of their choice, uniformed personnel have various options to choose from a) they may join one of the leading unions, b) alternatively set an autonomous union for each and every force, or c) set a union to collectively represent uniformed and disciplined personnel within the four disciplined corps. Whichever option uniformed personnel, irrespective of their grade, may take, it must be assured that uniformed personnel can freely express their wish.
In any case, while raising various issues which are of concern to many police officers it is fitting to mention with credit Sergeant Major Dunstan Camilleri, Police Sergeant Norman Xuereb and Constable Simon Schembri for their timely action last week – Well done!
Gejtu Vella
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