Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1159832
18 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 AUGUST 2019 COMMERCIAL BANK of Valletta has signed a three-year Collective Agreement covering the support employees at Bank of Valletta for the years 2019 to 2021. BOV Chief Executive Officer Mario Mallia, accompanied by Chief Officer Ethics & Employee Development Anthony Scicluna and Executive Human Resources Ray Debattista signed the Collec- tive Agreement on behalf of Bank of Valletta. Newly-appointed GWU Section Secretary for the Professionals, Finance and Services section Ric- carda Darmanin, accompanied by the Group Committee members for BOV, represented the General Workers' Union. "This agreement continues to enhance the conditions of em- ployment of our colleagues and continues to consolidate Bank of Valletta's position as an employer of choice in Malta," Mallia said. "This agreement aims at contin- uing to improve the balance be- tween the need for greater quality and efficiency of work and im- proving work conditions for the employees." Darmanin said the agreement is the result of cordial negotiations that took place in a very challeng- ing environment. "Nonetheless, such negotiations translated in better working con- ditions among other benefits," she said. "This agreement enhances the financial and non-financial aspect for all employees, and the Bank and the Union will continue in their collaboration to providing a better working environment." BOV and GWU sign collective agreement JAZZ composition and jazz improvisa- tion courses are being introduced for the first time ever, among the music courses starting at the beginning of October. In three cycles per year, the Malta So- ciety of Arts (MSA) offers courses in the visual, applied and performing arts with- in its premises – the beautifully-renovat- ed Palazzo de La Salle. As from October this year, around 40 different courses will be taught by the society's highly-qualified tutors, and they will run until the end of January. Among the courses being introduced by the MSA for its winter schedule are two new music courses: jazz composi- tion and jazz improvisation; they will be taught by known local jazz saxophonist and composer Carlo Muscat. The jazz composition course will help students to understand the process of writing tunes by looking at the work of famous musi- cians and completing a number of tasks that explore the character of each piece, learning how to use these ideas in their own writing. During the jazz improvisa- tion classes, Carlo will explore the jazz genre, which is truly defined by improvi- sation and is considered one of the most prominent styles for creative expression. In the visual arts section, a new course in floral art will be tutored by Nadine Micallef-Grimaud, who will be giving lectures and workshops ranging from traditional floral arrangements to more abstract and modern designs. Nadine is a qualified artist and demonstrator of flo- ral art and she will be helping students to expose their creations on different occa- sions. With an increased interest in some of the traditional Maltese arts and crafts, the MSA is introducing a new course in filigree-making by known filigree art- ist Kevin Attard. Students will be able to develop skills in making the ġenwiża, matta and nuċċalijiet motif fillers, and learn other basic techniques such as fili- gree frame-making; filling-in of the frame with motifs, soldering of filigree jewel- lery, and learn the full cleaning and pol- ishing process. The performing arts courses will in- clude lessons in pianoforte, violin and the guitar, while the voice course will resume in October with a new tutor, known Mal- tese soprano Ruth Sammut Casingena, who will be bringing a new energy to the voice classes at Palazzo de La Salle. The long list of courses also includes opportunities in traditional crafts like lace-making, crochet, ganutell and em- broidery, while the visual arts section will continue its fine art portraiture work- shops and nude figure classes among many more. For a full list of courses and more details about the individual courses, fees, tutors and times, please visit www.artsmalta. org/courses and the MSA's Facebook Page www.facebook.com/maltasocietyo- farts Malta Society of Arts' winter courses EXPRESS Trailers' sister company Express VRT Ltd has just inaugurated its new VRT Service Centre. Formerly located inside the operations yard, the new VRT garage has now been relocated to larger and more modern premises across Express Trailers' head offices and is now located at the top of Imgieret Road, next to the ShipLow- Cost central depot. "Besides an obvious need to optimise our operative space to achieve more efficiencies, the major driver for this move was to offer a safer operative environment both for our people who manage the VRT operation and also to the many clients who use our VRT ser- vice. Our workers and customers can now enjoy a safer environment," said Franco Azzopardi, Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers. "Safety remains a paramount aspect at all levels of Express Trailers' opera- tions. VRT is about ensuring that cars are safe on the roads and therefore, as professed ambassadors to Road Safety, we are proud to have entered this huge investment to offer a most modern and safe VRT testing operation," he said. Express Trailers has been offering its VRT service for over ten years. Besides servicing normal vehicles, the Express VRT Service is also equipped to as- sess larger industrial vehicles as well as commercial car fleets and leased fleets. The Express VRT station is open on weekdays between 7am and 4pm and on Saturdays between 7am and 12pm. For further information one may call on 25589902. For added convenience, clients may choose to drop off their vehicle at the station and be contacted once the ser- vicing is complete. Express Trailers invests in new VRT station