COLA to reach €13 per week – SME Chamber:Malta News Briefing – Thursday 29 June 2023

Updated 0930

COLA to be at least €13 per week – SME Chamber: According to Abigail Agius Mamo, CEO of the Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the upcoming Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) will guarantee a minimum increase of €13 per week. However, Agius Mamo emphasized the need for the government to explore ways to raise wages without imposing additional costs on businesses. Given the current inflationary pressures, the rising prices necessitate a minimum €13 per week adjustment for the COLA in the following year. The official announcement regarding the COLA adjustment will be made in the 2024 budget, which is scheduled for October or November. (The Malta Business Weekly)

Revised abortion law approved:

Parliament has approved the first-ever, controversial abortion law. Bill 28 permits doctors to perform pregnancy terminations in specific circumstances, and its approval of the bill comes seven months after it was initially presented in parliament. All Government and Opposition MPs voted in favour of the bill, which allows doctors to carry out an abortion if a woman’s life is at immediate risk or her health is in “grave jeopardy which may lead to her death”. Terminations can only take place once all other treatments have been exhausted and the decision must be taken by three specialists except in emergency cases. (Times of Malta)

Morning Briefing

Court hears gruesome details of Pelin Kaya homicide

Forensic doctor Edward Cherubino provided a brief description of the injuries sustained by Pelin Kaya during his testimony on Wednesday in the ongoing evidence compilation for the case against Jeremy Camilleri, who is accused of wilful homicide. The injuries indicated that the victim was struck from behind. The crime took place on the night of January 18, as the 30-year-old Turkish interior designer, Pelin Kaya, was walking along Testaferrata Street in Gżira. Camilleri, a 33-year-old individual holding French and Maltese citizenship, was driving a BMW at high speed when he collided with her. The collision caused the vehicle to crash into the Paul and Rocco service station as well as the front of the KFC restaurant. (Times of Malta)

Opposition gets date for Sofia debate

Parliament will address the motion put forth by the Opposition, calling for a public inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia on 6th July. This debate is scheduled for a specific day reserved for matters raised by the Opposition. Previous attempts by the Opposition to hold a parliamentary debate on this issue were rejected, as the Speaker determined that they did not fulfill the necessary prerequisites for adjourning the day’s sitting. Jean Paul Sofia tragically lost his life in a construction site accident last December when a three-storey building he was working on collapsed during construction. The Civil Protection Department successfully rescued five individuals, comprising three Albanians, one Maltese, and one Bosnian, from the site.

Teachers union expresses concern as 100 educators resign in one year

The Malta Union of Teachers has expressed concern after it was revealed that nearly 100 educators have resigned from State schools in the past year. This information came to light in Parliament in response to a parliamentary question raised by Opposition MP Graziella Galea. Education Minister Clifton Grima stated that among the resignations, there were three kindergarten teachers, 27 Learning Support Educators (LSEs), and 25 educators (including ten peripatetic teachers) in primary State schools. In secondary State schools, two assistant heads, seven LSEs, and 33 teachers have resigned. (Newsbook)