Disciplined forces have signed a collective agreement with the government, granting army, police, civil protection and correctional officers the right to join a union.
They will also be covered by an insurance policy while on duty, and their employment contracts will be guided by the 40-hour week and 25 years of service principles.
Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar said that all disciplined forces were now on the same footing as other civil servants, and they could now negotiate their terms of employment themselves.
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri noted that these collective agreements will improve the working conditions of 5,000 employees.
The PN welcomed the collective agreements, commending the disciplined forces for being at the forefront during the COVID pandemic.
[WATCH] Hardline stance crucial for prisoner rehabilitation, minister insists
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri defends prison administration: finalised magisterial inquiries have indicated no wrongdoing
23 April 2021, 8:33pm
by Karl Azzopardi
Is Malta’s prison facing a crisis
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has defended the Corradino prison administration, insisting that a hardline stance adopted by prison director Alex Dalli will serve to improve inmates’ rehabilitation.
“The prison used to be controlled by the criminals, and everyone knows that. Finally, we have a prison administration which has full control,” he said.
Over the last months, prison director Alex Dalli came under fire for his approach in administering the Corradino Correctional Facility, having been accused of making use of a punishment chair and solitary confinement.
Parts of a building intended to host male asylum seekers who test positive for COVID-19 are in a run-down state, with mould-infested walls and filthy toilets leaving patients “cold, dirty and depressed”.
Photos of bathrooms and dormitories at Ħal Far indicate that it is in a dire state of disrepair, just nine months after it was re-purposed to serve as a COVID-19 isolation unit.
The photos were taken in late January and given to
Times of Malta by a source in Malta’s detention service, who was compelled to share them to “show people what it’s like to be stuck in the detention services system in Malta”.
Malta’s Prisoners Help Build Newly-Opened Health Centre In Corradino
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A new medical centre has been unveiled within Corradino Correctional Facility promising to offer a better and faster service to inmates.
Around 25 inmates contributed to the style and aesthetic of the centre, building everything from the furniture used within to the paintings on the wall and even the curtains in the medical bays.
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri praised the new centre, saying it was a “clear signal” of the government’s vision to invest today to address tomorrow’s challenges before they arrive.
Prisoners have often spoken out about the dire medical situation they faced in the past.
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