The General Workers Union and the Malta Public Transport last night reached an agreement that guarantees a 15-minute break for bus drivers.

This followed a one-day strike on Friday.

Negotiations on the new collective agreement are now set to continue, but one bone of contention has been resolved. The company had initially insisted on a five-minute break, while the union wanted 30 minutes. An agreement has now been found for 15 minutes.

In a statement, the GWU thanked the government for its mediation that led to the breakthrough which, the union said, will not have a financial impact on the company.

It also thanked the workers for obeying the directives and said it will be doing its utmost to reach a conclusion with MPT on the new collective agreement in the shortest time possible.

The government also issued a statement saying that its intervention broke the impasse between the two sides.

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