Updated 1200
Over half of employees say they’re bullied at work – study:
A nationwide survey conducted by an anti-bullying body revealed that 64% of over 2,400 participants reported experiencing some form ofbullying in their current workplace. The study, titled “Bullying and Ostracism at the Workplace inMalta,” conducted by bBrave, also highlighted that 56% of respondents witnessed bullying at work,with 40% indicating they had personally been subjected to workplace bullying within the past year.The study noted that in the majority of cases (66%), those responsible for the bullying held seniorpositions, and in 88% of instances, the bullying occurred in the presence of others. The economicconsequences extend to presenteeism, where employees remain at work but with reduced efficiency,absenteeism, a high turnover of employees, and harm to the organization’s reputation. (Maltatoday)
Rosianne Cutajar’s consultancy contract at ITS is ‘fraudulent’ – NAO:
A report by the Auditor Generaldescribed MP Rosianne Cutajar’s employment as an ITS consultant as “fraudulent,” “irregular,” and aviolation of established policies and procedures. The report revealed that her 2019 contract wasretroactively dated by at least a month, she was tasked with responsibilities beyond her competence,and there was minimal evidence supporting any actual work done by her. This marks the initialinstance where the NAO scrutinized the hiring of a Member of Parliament by a state entity. The NAOhas also expressed doubts on whether MP did any work in this role, a statement that the MP has sought to deny. The Nationalist Party has announced its intention to propose a motion requestingindependent MP Rosianne Cutajar to reimburse the money she received for the consultancy. (Times of Malta, Newsbook)
MSF Report: Tragic Spike in Mediterranean Migrant Deaths
According to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), European countries, including Malta, are neglecting their responsibilities toward those in distress. MSF’s report titled “No one came to our rescue” highlights the grim situation, revealing that an average of 8 people per day lost their lives in the central Mediterranean from January to September—amounting to around 2,200 deaths. Despite Malta and Italy holding significant responsibility for coordinating rescues, the report underscores that Maltese authorities have been disregarding distress calls and participating in illegal pushbacks, as highlighted by other humanitarian NGOs. (The Malta Independent)
Morning Briefing
GDP grows by 7.1% in Q3 – NSO
Provisional estimates published by the National Statistics Office indicate that the gross domestic product for the third quarter of 2023 amounted to €5.2 billion, an increase of €610.2 million, (13.3%), when compared to the same quarter of 2022. In volume terms, GDP rose by 7.1%. Final domestic demand contributed negatively to GDP growth (3.4 percentage points) due to negative growth in Gross fixed capital formation. Conversely, foreign trade contributed positively to GDP growth (10.5 percentage points) attributable to an increase in Exports of goods and services and a decrease in Imports of goods and services.
Government employees to get COLA top-up
Public sector employees are set to receive an additional amount in their collective agreements to ensure they obtain the complete COLA sum. A joint statement involving the Office of the Prime Minister, For.U.M, GWU, UHM, and CMTU has confirmed that those in public administration will see an increase in their salary to bridge the gap between the financial package in their collective agreement and the COLA system. This enhancement comprises a €6.41 weekly raise within the collective agreements to align with the full €12.81 COLA amount. All public sector workers will qualify for this supplement. The separate relativity mechanism for public officials will be discussed in the first quarter of 2024, as the collective agreement will expire by the end of next year.
€165,000 allocated for budget advertising
Information presented in Parliament indicates that the government allocated €165,000 towards promoting its recent budget. PM Robert Abela shared this information replying to a parliamentary question. Abela defended the expenditure in his response by characterizing the budget advertising effort, as an “information campaign.” No breakdown of costs was provided.
