GSD demands answers on agency workers

The GSD has called on the Government to answer its outstanding questions on the issue of agency workers, highlighting the continued ‘confusion’ following the offer of permanent employment to agency workers in the civil service.

In a statement the Opposition said that in the usual way, rather than answer the legitimate questions the GSD has raised on the current confusion on agency workers, all the Government has done is to take a hollow swipe at the GSD.

GSD Leader Keith Azopardi said: “No one will believe the affirmation by the Government that they are now the champions of the civil service.”

“Have we forgotten their relentless attempt to contract the civil service and freeze recruitment and promotion prospects in their first stint in Government.”

“It was the GSD in Government that had to correct all that and reinstate promotion prospects and training,” Mr Azopardi said, adding: “History repeats itself.”

“This GSLP Government has now adopted the same tactics and refused to fill vacancies in the civil service.”

“This is why there has been an explosion of the use of agency workers and mounting unfilled vacancies everywhere.”

“At the same time they have said the public sector was unsustainable. How can we reconcile this decision to offer so many jobs in the civil service and GDC if the public sector was unsustainable? Is it because an election is coming? What is unsustainable are the financial policies of the Government and their mismanagement of taxpayers money.”

Additionally, the party said that instead of taking swipes at the Opposition the Government should answer its questions on the “theatrical announcement” they made last week regarding the offer of permanent employment to agency workers in the civil service.

The GSD demanded to know how many GDC posts are actually being offered and where are those relief workers currently working.
The Government also needs to clarify whether these and future AA civil service entry point vacancies will be open to public competition or whether as a matter of policy they are not allowing open competition, the GSD said.

Finally, the GSD asks where this leaves other agency workers in the wider public service like the care agency or GHA.

“There is confusion on all these issues because of the haphazard form of events last Monday,” the party said.

“It is obvious that what the Government tried to do last Monday is to take shameless political credit by, in effect, handing GDC jobs to people without prior consultation or notice to the Unions.”

“This side-lined the Unions when they have a role to represent their members.”