Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1491941
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 FEBRUARY 2023 4 NEWS Situation Vacant Europe Fastflow Services Ltd of Ta' Xbiex invites applications for Full /Part Time employment in anyone of the following vacant posts: · Cleaning Services · Housekeeping · Handyman · Hospitality · Health Care Services, · Catering Services, · Construction Workers · Maintenance · Motor Mechanics · Repairs and Handyman · Security Guards · Drivers · Tile Layers. Intending candidates are to submit a full CV with supporting certificates to the Administration Officer on josros@onvol.net or jdebono892@gmail.com. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Administration Officer on 99685203 or 27459341 . Good conditions and salaries are offered to the right applicant. MARIANNA CALLEJA NEW inquiries will be handled by specialised magistrates in or- der to tackle the backlog of court cases, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said on Monday. Speaking on TVM's Xtra, Attard said that the ministry working on several reforms to address court backlog. This includes introduc- ing specialised magistrates, changing the evidence-gath- ering phase, and introducing time frames so that cases will not be delayed. "We must, however, wait for other reforms to take place," the Minister added. Attard was joined by the Nationalist Party's justice spokesperson Karol Aquilina during the programme, who explained that magistrates are trying to accomplish the impossible under the current system. "We currently have 1,700 open cases. Apart from civil and criminal cases, one mag- istrate in particular has 170 pending cases," he said. "How can this, the same magistrate, also manage with over 1,400 district cases?" Aquilina also mentioned how another magistrate has 1,700 pending traffic cases and an- other has 1,600 pending do- mestic violence cases. On the need for a new court- house, Attard said that there are no plans for a new build- ing altogether, but tenders are in place to extend the existing building. Malta will get specialised magistrates in court overhaul, Minister says Ethiopian Airlines considering flights to Malta, with an eye on US route Minister Jonathan Attard says government will expand the Law Court building and increase staff to address alarming court backlog Justice Minister Jonathan Attard and the shadow spokesperson Karol Aquilina NICOLE MEILAK DISCUSSIONS are underway so that the national airline of Ethiopia, the largest airline company in Africa and the fourth largest in the world in terms of destinations, starts flying to and from Malta. Prime Minister Robert Abela greeted the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali when he arrived at Castille on Tuesday for an official vis- it. Aviation was a key topic of discussion during talks. Abela said that having a direct link be- tween Ethiopia and Malta wold allow Ethiopian Airlines to fly onward to the United States from Malta. He said it would also attract global investment to Malta and lead to foreign direct investment in Ethiopia. Abela said that Ethiopia is a key strategic part- ner in Africa, together with Ghana. He noted that a Maltese Embassy has just been set up in Addis Ababa, and Malta can be an important Meditereanean and European commercial hub for Ethiopia. Abela also congratulated his Ethiopian coun- terpart for a recent peace agreement reached, which is expected to lead to more stability with- in the country. He continued that Abela will continue striving for peace and dialogue, particularly as it cur- rently holds Presidency of the United Nations Security Council. Both sides also discussed enhanced coopera- tion in several sectors, including maritime, arti- ficial intelligence, education and science. Abela was accompanied by Minister for For- eign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg and Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Aaron Farrugia. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (left) with his Maltese counterpart Robert Abela THE ULCE, one of several trade unions representing court em- ployees, has called for better con- ditions for court workers, as well as the recruitment of more staff to complement the appointments of new magistrates. Speaking to reporters this morn- ing the union's president Simon Simpson, highlighted the fact that the union was still not officially recognised by the government, but was encouraging its members and all court employees to "pull on the same rope and continue to give 100% in their service to the public." Simpson welcomed justice min- ister Jonathan Attard's pledge, made on yesterday's edition of discussion program Xtra, to intro- duce reforms to the justice sector. But he also observed that the min- ister had failed to mention the pit- ifully low wages received by court messengers and clerks. These essential workers were only paid between €850 and €950 every four weeks, said the union, arguing that more thought could have been given to providing a structured career path to these employees, with a rising scale of pay grades and responsibilities. This would incentivise current employees and attract new ones, Simpson argued. "In these past months, we had several very promising messen- gers and clerks who had no alter- native but to move to the private sector," he said, also pointing out that this was a waste of the time and effort involved in training them. Nothing had been done to im- prove facilities at the court build- ing in Gozo, which had not been refurbished in the past 50 years, he said. The union argued that ad- equate space on the periphery of Victoria, Gozo, must be found for new premises, befitting the work- ers and judiciary who work there, as well as parking spaces for both employees and the public. Speaking to reporters on Tues- day, the union's president Simon Simpson highlighted the fact that the union was still not officially recognised by the government, but was nonetheless encouraging its members and all court employ- ees to "pull on the same rope and continue to give 100% in their ser- vice to the public". Court employees union calls for improved conditions to halt brain drain