A new collective agreement aimed at offering better conditions to employees at the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) has been signed.
The signing ceremony was presided over by the Minister for Public Service and Administration, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, between the OHSA and the UĦM – Voice of the Workers. This agreement covers technical and administrative staff and is the fifth collective agreement to cover this section since the establishment of the Authority.
Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi stated that this agreement is the best one in recent years and will continue to build on the previous agreement with the goal of strengthening the Authority and recognising the work done by its employees in the sector.
He added that the agreement will lead to improvements in salary structures, new benefits, an increase in overtime rates, and better working conditions. Minister Zrinzo Azzopardi also expressed his gratitude to the officials within the Industrial Relations Section within the People and Standards Division who were part of the negotiations over the months.
The OHSA's CEO Mark Gauci, highlighted that the OHSA has always had dedicated and professional employees. He emphasized that this collective agreement not only recognizes the dedication, commitment, and professionalism of these employees by improving employment conditions but also aims to attract more new employees to work with the OHSA.
On the other hand, the UĦM expressed satisfaction that after months of negotiations, the agreement, which runs until 2026 and provides for adjustments and improvements in employee salaries and allowances, has been reached. The union noted that although the agreement was signed now, it also includes a retroactive payment to January 1, 2022. Additionally, this collective agreement is providing career development opportunities for clerical employees for the first time.
The signing of this agreement was attended by the Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister (People & Standards), Joyce Cassar, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Public Service and Administration, Carlos Tabone, as well as Antoinette Aquilina and Mario Sacco on behalf of the UĦM.