€10 million worth of compensation is set to be given to around 5,000 workers to address past injustices, Minister for Solidarity and Social Justice, Family and Children’s Rights Michael Falzon said on Monday morning.

Eligible people will be entitled to grants paid under three schemes drawn up by the Ministry of Solidarity and Social Justice, the Family and the Rights of the Child and the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, in agreement with the Ministry of Finance and Work.

A new call for applications is open for public service employees, former shore workers, as well as other groups of workers.

These will apply to: Persons who entered the public service after 16 January 1979 and to who, before that date, for some time served in government departments but not as public officials; People who were employees in any public sector corporation or entity and after working for some time in one of the working bodies set up before 1979; or people who were employees with the Gas Board until its termination and were subsequently employed with the Enemalta corporation; or those who were apprentices to the Malta Electricity Board until it expired and have been employed with the Enemalta corporation.  Shore workers who were licensed between 4 April 1973 and 1 June 2007 and who were not licensed after this period are also eligible to apply.

Minister Michael Falzon said that the government not only “looks after the worker”, but also “respects them and sees how justice is done with them, even if legally we had no obligations to do that.”

These schemes will be published from Tuesday 27 April in the Government Gazette and will close on 31 July 2021. Applications will be accepted in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in three schemes and which will be published in the next issue of the Government Gazette.

If such eligible workers have passed away, their heirs can still apply by attaching a declaration by a notary.