UĦM Voice of the Workers has expressed concern in a statement on Friday over a distinct shift in the government’s approach to negotiating Collective and Sectoral Agreements.

Prior to the general election, the government was actively negotiating and concluding various agreements with unions, often involving substantial financial packages, the Union said. In certain instances, it was the government itself that insisted on concluding these agreements.

Now, just a few months later, the narrative has changed, the Union said. Unions are currently being told that the country’s financial situation does not allow for favourable packages.

UĦM said that the shift in approach is so evident that it feels as though, prior to the election, they were “negotiating with the government of a different country.” However, what has changed is simply that the election has passed and the government has secured another mandate. For UĦM, this is unacceptable.

The government set a benchmark through the agreements it negotiated and concluded before the election, the Union said.

“That benchmark cannot simply be discarded post-election; it must continue to be upheld in negotiations with all public entities. There cannot be one standard for workers before an election and another after the election,” the statement read.

This issue has already been discussed by the UĦM’s Governance Board, and the Union is taking a look at what lies ahead in the coming months regarding collective and sectoral negotiations.

The UĦM said it will continue to insist on serious, fair, and consistent negotiations, and will not accept workers being disadvantaged simply because their agreement is being negotiated after the general election.