FELTOM, the Federation for English Language Teaching Organisations in Malta, has called on the government to extend the Covid-19 Wage Supplement until spring.

In a statement, the federation welcomed the Government’s recent announcement that the Wage Supplement has been extended till January 2022.

FELTOM said it has been engaging in discussions and consultations with Government for a number of months regarding the need and the value of extending the Covid Wage Supplement to further assist an ailing industry.

The financial impact on its member schools, following the impulsive closure early in summer, was severe and is backed by data collated by Deloitte on behalf of the Federation.

“By extending the COVID Wage Supplement, the Government has offered a meagre lifeline to help industries like ours survive. Although well received, many schools are facing closure if financial assistance is withdrawn, and the number of ELT visitors does not increase significantly,” it said.  

FELTOM called on the government to consider extending the wage supplement till spring 2022. “Terminating the COVID Wage Supplement in January is premature and of concern as it will severely impact already stretched operations,” it said.