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Karl Stagno-Navarra
Around a quarter of Malta’s workforce is off work this week, enjoying the sun and sea, in the height of midsummer’s Santa Marija feast.
Speaking to MaltaToday, MEA director-general Joe Farrugia said that a conservative estimate would put 25 per cent of Malta’s workforce, amounting to thousands, on holiday during this week, the majority of them being employed in the manufacturing sector, owing to shutdowns.
While many in the private and public sector would have chosen a long weekend holiday spanning over the Santa Marija feast on Tuesday, the majority of workers traditionally book the whole week as leave, before returning to work in the last week of August.
The Santa Marija week is traditionally characterised by an exodus towards Gozo, where authorities have beefed up emergency services to counter the masses that are expected to “invade” the sister island, where some massive road works are still under way.
Gozo Ministry officials have set up an ‘ad-hoc’unit, to coordinate Civil Protection, Police and Emergency Services during this week of peak traffic to Gozo, and Gozo Channel said it will add ferry trips if needed.
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