Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1440477
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 5 JANUARY 2022 NEWS MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S major employers body has called on teachers unions to keep disruptions to schools to a minimum as vaccination and boosters pro- grammes get underway. The Chamber of Commerce was referring to directives by the Union Ħaddiema Magħqu- din to their members for the postponement of opening of schools by a couple of days. The UĦM said employees should work from home or be assigned alternative duties to work from home if they have children registered at childcare centres, children up to 12 years registered in the Klabb 3-16, or will be following online school- ing on 6 and 7 January; or have disabled children. The union directive shall remains in force as long as schools remain closed but it shall not apply if either parent is able to look after the child. But the Malta Employers' As- sociation responded by telling employers to treat any absence from work which has not been authorised, as unpaid leave. "It is the prerogative of the employer to decide whether its employees should work re- motely or not," the MEA said. The Chamber of Commerce on its part called for unions to enter into dialogue, rather than issue unilateral directives. "This approach is uncalled for," the Chamber said. "For the past two years there has been close cooperation be- tween employers and their em- ployees, whether unionised or otherwise. This collaboration has enabled so many to work from home, to adopt more flexible working hours, and to absent themselves from work at short notice for all sorts of reasons, ranging from quaran- tines to school closures." The Chamber said unions had to be judicious in determining the appropriate duration of preventive quarantine periods, particularly when employees are fully vaccinated. "This will ensure that disrup- tions to schools and workplaces are kept to a minimum. Where particular circumstances ne- cessitate that children under 12 are kept at home, arrange- ments need to be made by the parents on a case-by-case basis, with their respective employ- ers, as has happened countless times in the past two years." The Chamber appealed to ed- ucation authorities and unions to find workable solutions that minimised disruption in work- places, and prioritised chil- dren's education. "There is broad consensus that online schooling can never substitute face-to-face learn- ing. We have to acknowledge that the current generation of students has already accumu- lated significant educational deficit over the last two years as a result of online schooling." Employers react to union directive on remote work: 'unauthorised absence is unpaid leave' NICOLE MEILAK MEPS from the EPP's Italian del- egation submitted a request tot he European Commission asking for clarification that EU funds will not be awarded to people linked to the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder. President Antonio Tajani and nine other MEPs submitted a parliamentary written ques- tion to the Comission asking for safeguards to ensure that European funding will not flow to Yorgen Fenech, the man ac- cused of murdering Daphne Caruana Galizia. "The indirect allocation of European funds to the man ac- cused of her murder would be inconsistent and disrespect- ful to her memory," the MEPs said, noting how the European Union established a journalism prize in her name. The Caruana Galizia fami- ly argued that EU funds for a Malta-Sicily gas pipeline could benefit Yorgen Fenech as a shareholder in the Electrogas consortium. Matthew Caruana Galizia, the son of the slain journalist, had explained that part of the gas deal was for the Electrogas shareholders, including Fenech, to receive a payout once a gas pipeline is constructed. "What actions does the Eu- ropean Commission intend to take to ensure that European funding will not be awarded to persons directly or indirectly linked to the murder of Daph- ne Caruana Galizia?" the MEPs questioned. Last December, European ministers agreed to allow Mal- ta to apply for crucial European funding that will subsidise at least half of a €400 million gas pipeline investment to Sicily. But they also said that entities connected to fraud, corruption or conduct related to criminal organisations will be excluded from such funding, a possible reference to the presence of Electrogas as owner of Malta's gas plant. Daphne Caruana Galizia had discovered that Yorgen Fenech, a key shareholder in the Elec- trogas consortium, had set up a secret offshore company, 17 Black, to funnel payments to Panama companies held by government officials, including former minister Konrad Miz- zi and ex-chief of staff Keith Schembri. She had been investigating Electrogas's operations before her murder in 2017. Employers react to union directive to workers whose children will have online schooling during first days of school Italian MEPs question Brussels over EU funds for Malta gas pipeline