§ Mr. Orbachasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the present position arising from his Department's discussions with representatives of the Malta General Workers' Union; whether the union's claim for increased wages and arrears of wages has been met; and whether there has now been established adequate machinery for settling disputes between employees of the Government and Government Departments in Malta.
§ Mr. J. P. L. ThomasAs announced in Malta on 2nd May last, the Service Departments offered to increase the cost of living bonus to 30s. a week as from 1st April, 1952, and to grant in addition a lump sum payment of£14 6s. The offer was subject to certain conditions, which were believed to be not unacceptable to the Malta General Workers' Union, and it was explained that the offer, with the conditions, must be treated as a whole.
This offer was not accepted by the union, but the Service Departments decided to increase the cost of living bonus to 30s. a week as from 1st April, 1952, and to allow the rest of the offer to remain open for the time being, subject to acceptance of the conditions. The rate of wages now in payment is that claimed by the union.
We are considering whether any permanent machinery can be devised for settling disputes between the Service Departments and their Maltese work-people; but the subject is a difficult one and may take a long time.