By Gaetano Tanti

It seems that this issue is making the headlines every summer season. Summer half-days were introduced in the Public Service years ago and are an established feature and culture of our Public Service.

Summer half-days are thus now considered by all and sundry as an integral part of the conditions of service of the employees in the Public Service. These blessed half-days are also considered by some as the main incentive that keeps public officers in the Civil Service.

Although, as a general rule, government employees work half-days in summer, these employees are still subject to a 40 hour week. Moreover, it is important to point out that the nature and the exigencies of each particular government department are still given topmost consideration. So much so that today, certain government departments provide emergency service during summer afternoons while where appropriate, public officers even work on a shift system, covering seven days a week all year round.

One should appreciate that workers cannot sustain the same level of efficiency and productivity during our hot summer afternoons, even if their working environment is equipped with air-conditioners and the rest. Moreover, most of the Maltese would rather opt for the beach than trying to get some sort of service from a government department in a summer afternoon.

The UHM thus strongly sustains that given our climatic conditions, the abolition of the summer half-days – just for the sake that government departments would be in a position to offer a full-day service also in summer – would in no way enhance productivity, efficiency or the competitiveness of our country.

Moreover, the UHM can safely say that whenever it was needed and proven that working full-days in summer are beneficial to the enterprise and indeed to the nation, then ways and means were found in order to bring this about. Of course, meaningful discussions on such issues are imperative.

Mr Tanti is president of the Union Haddiema Maghqudin

 
 By Alfred Mallia Milanes

The circumstances have changed since the introduction of summer half days for civil servants, over 50 years ago. At the time Malta had a colonial government and the attitude was to milk the colonial masters as much as possible because they provided for our needs.

Today, Malta stands on its own two feet and we are facing a serious financial situation. Everybody should shoulder part of the burden. The civil service is already over-staffed, the least we could do is to make it efficient. The half days certainly do not contribute to increasing efficiency.

Private industry is continuously facing stiff competition both internally and externally. People in the private sector worry on a daily basis on how to become more productive and efficient to be able to compete. The same mentality should prevail in the public service.

The times have changed and offices can today be equipped with airconditioning equipment to alleviate the summer heat. There is no excuse that justifies the reduced working hours in summer. Why should the private sector incur overtime costs to release a container in the afternoon during the summer months, just because civil servants are on half days?

Furthermore, the next collective agreement for civil service employees, due to be discussed shortly should be negotiated on a professional basis. Government cannot simply add costs by increasing salaries and everything else remains the same. In the private sector collective agreements are discussed on a give and take basis. Costs are offset by increased productivity and efficiency.

The summer half days issue should definitely be raised during the collective agreement discussions. The least that could be done is to have government departments work on skeleton staff in the afternoon during the summer months. The seriousness of the financial situation means that we either become more productive, including the civil service, or else we will be left by the way side.

Mr Mallia Milanes is director general of the Malta Employers’ Association