Prime Minister Robert Abela said that discussions on a new collective agreement for teachers and educators are at an advanced stage and he is optimistic that an agreement can be reached in the coming weeks.

Abela was speaking to journalists after a new collective agreement was signed for FSWS employees, which will improve their income and conditions.

He was asked if there has been progress on the collective agreement for teachers, to which he said that technical discussions are still ongoing and are at an advanced stage.

There are four pending agreements presently being negotiated between the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT) and the government: the sectoral agreement for educators and collective agreements covering staff at MCAST, ITS and the Institute for Education.

Discussions regarding the sectoral agreement for teachers had even led to a one-day strike last November. Since then, MUT president Marco Bonnici has said that the union was making significant progress in its discussions on the pending agreements.

"Government has tabled a better financial and holistic proposal, which substantially improves the current agreement," Abela said.

He said he is convinced by the good will of the teachers' union and all stakeholders, and that an agreement can be reached for a new collective agreement.

Abela said that he is optimistic that with government's current proposal, as well as goodwill, this will be signed in the coming weeks.

Speaking about the new collective agreement for around a thousand workers within the Foundation of Social Welfare Services (FSWS), he said it will improve working their conditions and financial package.

The new collective agreement is aimed at strengthening the professionals and workers in the Foundation not only with better conditions and fair increases reflecting today's realities, but will also be strengthening the career progression of these workers with improvements in training and personal development for all FSWS employees.

In the presence of many FSWS employees, Abela said that this agreement acknowledges the valuable work these employees do with the love they have and demonstrate towards their work and their clients.

Abela said that this is not just an isolated collective agreement, and pointed out how in recent years, important collective and sectoral agreements have been signed.

"We strengthen families by providing them with the best care, resources, and tools that you, the workers, provide yourselves," Abela said.

He referred to FSWS workers as catalysts to help individuals rise and walk forward, stating that this is an agreement that invests in workers who are in service to people and bring about positive change in people's lives.

"As a lawyer who has practiced in the Family Court, I recognize how much you workers are capable of giving hope to those who have lost heart," Abela told FSWS workers.

The Prime Minister also thanked the management of FSWS and UĦM Voice of the Workers, as representatives of the workers who, in the discussions for a five-year agreement, sought common ground in favour of the workers' interests and the society benefiting from the same workers' services.

Minister for Social Policy and Children's Rights Michael Falzon said that this agreement continues to strengthen the career progression in this important profession for our country.  "More than that, however, this collective agreement is an essential and vital part in the chain of management, where many of these professionals are either graduates or have many years of experience, and therefore, this should be recognized with improvements in salaries and conditions," Falzon said.

FSWS CEO Alfred Grixti said that in these types of negotiations, it is not a matter of who wins or loses, but is a situation where everyone needs to win.

"In our case, it must be an agreement that does not ignore our clients, more than 23,000 vulnerable people whom we have the honour and privilege to assist and accompany every day," Grixti said.

In response to criticism that the collective agreement was left to expire, Grixti said that this expired in the midst of the pandemic, and it would have been insensitive to try to negotiate financial aspects of a collective agreement at the time.

"We were responsible, and we did this without resorting to industrial action, or threatening to impose industrial action," Grixti said.

Secretary General of UHM Voice of the Workers Josef Vella said that he was proud of social workers' work who do so much good quietly, with emotional commitment and selfless work.  "It's an honour for us as UHM to sign agreements like these that will continue to improve the conditions of around a thousand workers. How fruitful and what quality of fruit depends on the workers themselves, so we appeal for greater work in this vital sector," Vella said.

He said that industrial action is a tool, not a weapon, and commended the great efforts of sitting round a table to discuss and listen, and ultimately find a solution without having to resort to industrial action.

The signing of the collective agreement together with Abela and Falzon was attended by Permanent Secretaries Joyce Cassar and Mark Musù.

Speaking to the media, Abela was also asked about the matter of mandatory membership to a union, where he said that discussions were ongoing, and must continue.

He said that this was an interesting proposal, and government believes in the strength of a trade union to improve workers' conditions.

Commending the words of Vella, Abela said that unions should make use of industrial action limitedly but should primarily resort to dialogue and good sense.

He said that stakeholders should continue discussion to eventually reach a legislative debate.