New WasteServ tender guarantees jobs for serving employees

A controversial contract for contractor employees serving national waste agency WasteServ has expired in August, paving the way for the ministry for the environment to issue a fresh call for tenders.

The “largesse” shown by the previous government to contractor JF Services – as claimed by a government source – was said to have informed the need for a fresh call for tenders to “address the main deficiencies highlighted in previous NAO reports on the company.”

MaltaToday understands that the director of contracts held consultations with the National Audit Office to avoid prior pitfalls even before the tender proper was formulated.

The successful bidder for the new contract will be bound to take over current serving employees on a contract basis through transfer of business, but certain terms that were previously decidedly loaded in favour of JF Security to the detriment of WasteServ, have been amended to lessen the strain on public finances which led to additional subsidies for the state-owned company.

Various stakeholders had their say during a consultation  called by minster Leo Brincat  on the future of WasteSever as ‘an operator of last resort’, in accordance with the waste plan of the present and the former administrations.

“Waste sector experts feel that as a result of these new contractual parameters there will be less strain on public finances thanks to what is being described as a ‘win-win’ thanks to more equitable revised tender terms,” a government source said.

A ministry official contacted by MaltaToday said the successful bidder will need to steer clear of any possibilities of precarious work conditions as this would subject the company to disqualification. 

Union Haddiema Maghqudin are known to have been briefed about these developments, which include a finance ministry-authorised extension for a limited period of time of the present, expired contract until the new call for tenders is finalised, adjudicated and comes into effect.